Gifts In-Kind of Items

Community support has always been a silver lining for CHEO and Roger Neilson House. Thanks to you, our shelves are well stocked with toys, books, games, and thoughtful items for children and families.  

Hospitals are a unique environment where some of the most fragile and vulnerable children and youth are cared for – and as COVID-19 evolves, so do the CHEO Foundation’s donation guidelines to protect our patients’ safety and privacy and to respect infection control best practices.

We are extremely grateful for gifts that benefit our children, youth and families. Unfortunately, please note that our Gift-in-Kind program remains closed until further notice. CHEO and the CHEO Foundation will not be accepting any donations of items.

Your consideration of a financial contribution would be greatly appreciated. The following funds help CHEO purchase toys, crafts, and distraction tools for Child Life staff, volunteers and social workers to engage kids in therapeutic play, alleviate boredom during isolation, or provide relief for a parent hoping to calm a scared child.

When you donate a monetary gift, CHEO’s departments will be able to purchase items most needed for patients and families.   

Make a donation  

 The following funds help CHEO purchase toys, crafts, and distraction tools for Child Life staff, volunteers and social workers to engage kids in therapeutic play, alleviate boredom during isolation, or provide relief for a parent hoping to calm a scared child.  

 

• Donate to the Child Life Fund: Child Life programs at CHEO help patients and families adjust to, and better understand, their health care experience. This fund helps our Child Life specialists to purchase age appropriate toys, computer games, books and arts and craft supplies that are used in the healing journey. These will be used by thousands of children and youth, from birth to 18 years of age, who spend time at CHEO. Baking lessons, crafts, story time, movie nights, and tea parties are other life-enhancing activities organized by the Child Life Team.  Support from this fund also ensures that playrooms are open at night and on weekends because illness doesn’t take time off. 

• Donate to the Family Assistance Fund: Donations to the Family Assistance Fund supports families under financial stress who may not have the means to cover all of the expenses relating to their child’s medical care. This fund covers a wide range of needs: from travel, housing and other unforeseen expenses, to specialized equipment such as wheelchairs and hearing devices. Family assistance also involves counselling and support from the social work team to identify and navigate the often complicated health and social system, and to identify other community and government resources for families. An innovative and unique aspect to this program is that anyone at CHEO can refer a family to this support at any time. This fund and its social workers are critical to helping families stay together while caring for their child. Support is provided so that families land on more solid financial and emotional ground when the stress of caring for a critically ill child is over. 

• Donate to the Mental Health Fund – expressive art supplies: Donations to this fund will provide art supplies to help CHEO’s mental health staff build expressive art programs into day–to–day treatment for their patients. The Eating Disorders Program in particular has a substantial expressive arts component, but this therapeutic need exists across all areas of CHEO’s Mental Health services. 

• Host a virtual fundraiser for CHEO: Need some ideas that are safe and engaging to help you get started? Look no further! We’ve compiled the following list here, to inspire your efforts and maximize your fundraising potential. You can find out more information on how to plan an event at this link https://cheofoundation.com/events/plan-an-event/. 

 

Thank you for your understanding and kindness. We appreciate your support in helping our patients, families, staff, and volunteers stay safe.