Toys and In-Kind Donations

Silver Cross Hospital depends on community generosity to help provide for special needs of our patients year-round. Donations of NEW toys, gift certificates for purchase of supplies, or treats for the Kindness Kart go a long way.

Donation Process

You can find our most needed items on our Wish List (see below). If you choose to donate a toy, please leave it unwrapped so it is easy for us to identify quickly and share with our patients.

To protect the privacy of our patients and to control the spread of infection, we do not have opportunities for donors to personally distribute donations to patients, families, and caregivers.

Donations can be received at the Information Desk inside the main Silver Cross Hospital entrance, located at 1900 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox, IL.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a drop-off appointment, especially for large donations, please contact:

Kelly Baltas
Development & Events Specialist
kbaltas@silvercross.org
(815) 300-3941

If you would like to mail your gift, please address the package to:
Silver Cross Foundation
1900 Silver Cross Blvd.
New Lenox, IL 60451

Safety Guidelines

Keeping patients safe is our top priority. Before you give, check with the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission. Also, please remember that we can only accept recently purchased, unwrapped gifts.

For the safety of our patients, Silver Cross follows strict donation guidelines, especially when it comes to stuffed animals and other soft-surface items. We ask that donated stuffed animals be brand new and recently purchased. Please note that we cannot accept soft toys that have been in someone’s possession (collection, storage, display, etc.), even if they’ve never been played with.

All items should have tags and/or be in the original packaging. All opened or used items will be donated to the Silver Cross Encore Shop.

We cannot accept:

  • Toy weapons
  • Breakable items including porcelain, glass, handmade wooden toys, and collectible items
  • Baby formula
  • Items that have been exposed to smoke or other strong scents
  • Rubber/latex balloons
  • Play-Doh and Slime
  • Toys, books, and movies with sensitive issues (i.e. violence, weapons)
  • Medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes

Wish List

  • Action Figures
  • Art Kits
  • Baby Mozart Music Cubes
  • Barbie and Accessories
  • Blankets
  • Books (English & Spanish)
  • Coloring Books
  • Crayola Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils
  • Crib Soothers and Sound Machines
  • Crib Toys
  • Crossword, Word Search & Soduko Books
  • Fisher-Price Infant and Toddler Toys
  • Electronic Educational Toys with Batteries
  • Games – Board and Hand-held
  • Gift Cards (Target, Walmart, Amazon, Visa, etc.)
  • Headphones and Adapters
  • Hot Wheels & Match Box Cars
  • Light-up and Musical Toys
  • Magna Doodle/Etch-a-Sketch
  • Mini Lego Kits
  • Phone Chargers
  • Plastic Animals and Dinosaurs
  • Plastic Infant Rattles
  • Portable DVD Players
  • Puzzles (25-100 pieces)
  • Sticker Sets
  • Superhero Toys
  • UNO and Playing Cards

Kindness Kart Donations

Building on the hospital’s ongoing theme of Kindness Inspires Kindness, this special effort brings “treats” and moments of joy to staff and visitors alike.  The Kindness Kart is stocked with a variety of goodies and makes regular visits throughout the hospital spreading goodwill by recognizing employees for their hard work or bringing a smile to a patient during his time with us.  

Items appreciated to help fill the kart:

  • Candy or Cookies
  • Chips, Popcorn, and/or Pretzels
  • Granola Bars or Kind Bars (Chewy or Crunchy)
  • Fruit Snacks
  • Healthy Snacks (apples, oranges, bananas)
  •  Juices or Bottled Water
  • Or any other favorite “pick-me-up” treats

Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.