Coming this December

Re-Cember is
back!

A December to Re-member.

This year's Re-Cember is dedicated to the memory of David Joseph Sr.

Watch: what Re-Cember is about, in one minute.

Re-Cember is Toledo's community toy and gift drive, bringing neighbors and local businesses together to make the holidays brighter for families in need. Local businesses host collection boxes. Community members fill them with new toys and nonperishable food. And everything comes together for one special day of giving, celebration, and a visit from Santa.

Get involved Donate

Coming soon

Details for this year are on the way

Box LocationsLocal businesses throughout Toledo will serve as collection points for new toys, apparel, and nonperishable food. Find a participating location near you and help make the holidays brighter for local families.
A little giving can make a big difference!
The Big DayThe heart of Re-Cember is a special community celebration where donated gifts and food are shared with local families in need, along with a little holiday magic from Santa.
One special day. Countless smiles.
Hosts & HelpersFrom businesses hosting collection boxes to volunteers lending a helping hand, every contribution makes a difference. Discover how you can be a part of this year's Re-Cember.
It takes a community to make the magic happen!

Watch

The Re-Cember collection

TV spots, the explainer, and Christmas stories on the way. New videos are added as they're made.

Re Means PeopleHost a BoxThe Big DayJoin the Elf CrewSome Christmas Memories Never FadeWhat is Re-Cember?Episode 1: The Box on the CounterEpisode 2: Santa's Sleigh Breaks DownEpisode 3: The Little Elf Learns “Re-”Episode 4: A Snow Globe Through the Years

See the whole collection

How to help

Four ways to be part of it

1

Host a box

Own a shop, office, gym, restaurant or church? Put a Re-Cember collection box on your counter and let your customers fill it.

Host a box →
2

Give

Cash donations let us buy even more toys for local kids. Every bit helps.

Donate →
3

Drop off gifts

Bring new, unwrapped toys and dry food to any Re-Cember box once they're up around town.

What to bring →
4

Join the elf crew

Sort toys, pack gift bags and hand out gifts with Santa on the big day. Bring your family, friends or whole team.

Volunteer →

Gifts

  • New, unwrapped toys and gifts
  • For boys and girls of all ages, from infants to teens

Dry food

  • Canned food, pasta, rice and other dry goods

Last December

What Toledo did together

Since 2015giving back every December
Dec 1 to 19collection boxes around town
About $7,000in cash donations, plus many more gifts
3 or 4 giftsfor each child
Illustration of families heading home in the snow, each child carrying new gifts

One big day at God's Instruments

We've been giving back every December since 2015. Last year was the first time we did it as Re-Cember, bringing the whole community together. Businesses, churches, families and neighbors hosted boxes and gave what they could.

On Saturday, December 20, everything was handed out at God's Instruments Outreach & Food Pantry, in the old Eastwood Theater on East Broadway, along with clothing and plenty of food from their pantry. Kids walked out with three or four gifts each.

This year, let's help many, many more families.

"The correlation of the amount of people that showed up and then the amount of toys and gifts truly showed us that God is with us and He made it perfect."Benjamin Tournoy, December 21, 2025

What Is Re-Cember?

Rebuild. Reconnect. Restore. Re-imagine.

Some Christmas memories never fade.

The excitement of waking before dawn, tiptoeing downstairs with your siblings to peek inside your stockings. The wonder of seeing presents tucked beneath a glittering Christmas tree, the snow falling softly outside, and the peaceful stillness of a house before Christmas morning officially begins.

It's the kind of magic that stays with us long after childhood. And it's that same feeling of wonder, excitement, and joy that inspires Re-Cember.

Re-Cember brings together Toledo businesses, neighbors, churches, and volunteers with one heartfelt purpose: to help create those unforgettable Christmas moments for local families who could use a little extra kindness and support.

Because the magic of Christmas isn't just in what we receive. It's in what we make possible for someone else.