Every year, as the temperature drops and leaves begin to fall, community members, volunteers, donors and staff eagerly anticipate our annual Toy Market. It presents an opportunity for families to obtain high quality, meaningful gifts for their children and is a source of joy for all who encounter it! Thanks to an innovative new approach, our 16th annual Toy Market will continue to bring happiness to our community.

This year’s Toy Market is moving online, with the assistance of an app, Geenees, which supports both donors and community members through a simple interface. It enables YSM to create a custom wish list, and allows donors to easily and directly shop through the platform and donate wished for gifts to our Toy Market with the click of a button. Community families “shop” online, through the lists of donated toys, to find just the right gifts for their children. YSM volunteers pack toys into boxes and, beginning Dec 14th, families will pick up their gifts.

“[My kids] thought it couldn’t be real,” said Hana, a mother of four who has received gifts from YSM’s Toy Market for her family, “They brought them into their bedrooms – took an hour to open each gift and play with it. They asked me to take a picture of them with their toys so they could remember this moment for all time.”

Thank you for your kind support to offer families in need the opportunity to experience a Christmas to remember.

To learn more or to get involved with the ToyMarket, please visit ysm.ca/toy-market.