According to The Warren Center’s CEO Amy Spawn,
“The Warren Center has been hosting the Operation Santa holiday event for the past 30 years, providing sensory-friendly environments for thousands of children with developmental delays and disabilities. Gifts from our annual toy drive are distributed in a fun, safe and sensory-friendly atmosphere at this annual event. At least 70 percent of the families we serve live beneath Texas’ poverty line. Without the generosity of our community, many of these children would not receive any gifts for Christmas. It can be extremely challenging to shop, wrap and attend holiday festivities while caring for a child with a chronic illness. The Operation Santa holiday event reduces the stress of the holiday season for families who have children with developmental delays and disabilities. Our wish is to have as many gifts as possible from our Amazon Wish list purchased to serve at least 500 deserving children and their families this holiday season.
“The annual Operation Santa event offers a safe and inclusive space for children to enjoy the holidays. Along with toys, the event provides holiday games, crafts, food, and photo opportunities with Santa for the whole family. To help spread holiday cheer, The Warren Center is seeking donors to participate in the Operation Santa Toy Drive from now until Friday, December 1.
“Donors can purchase new, unwrapped toys for children ages birth to seven years old and drop them off at The Warren Center’s Richardson office by appointment. Additionally, gifts to help children reach developmental milestones are available for purchase through the organization’s Amazon Wish List. To schedule a drop-off or for more information, please contact Brooklyn Blaylock at [email protected] or call 972.490.9055 ext. 1425. All toys will be collected by Friday, December 1. For more information, please call 972.490.9055 ext. 1425.
“At The Warren Center, we provide therapy and support for over 3,000 families every year. Each day, the need for services continues to grow. The CDC estimates one in six children have intellectual or physical disabilities or delays. In Dallas County alone, over 102,000 children have a developmental disability. The period between birth to five years is a time of rapid development. The earliest possible intervention is critical due to the accelerated brain development during these first years of life. Early childhood intervention programs have been shown to yield benefits in academic achievement, behavior, educational progression and attainment, and labor market success. Our staff travels to 48 zip codes and more than 900 homes each week to serve children in need. Our offices also served more than 200 children on-site for clinic-based services. Providing physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and social support is essential to help children with disabilities reach their full potential.”
* Graphic/photo provided by The Warren Center