For the November meeting, the CALL Community Service Committee is hosting a toy drive to benefit the Chicago Coalition of Battered Women's Greenhouse Shelter. Greenhouse provides assistance to domestic violence victims and their children. In addition to basic needs - safe refuge, food and clothing - Greenhouse provides a supportive, non-violent environment, and around-the-clock services. This year we are collecting holiday gifts and toys for the children in Greenhouse's hospital program and for other families at the shelter who start services too close to Christmas to adopt out. 

Our contact at the Chicago Coalition of Battered Women tells us that the items the shelter struggles to collect for children at the holiday season are non-violent toys/gifts for pre-adolescent and adolescent kids and something that could be used by either gender (e.g. board games, small hand held video games, disposable cameras, radios, etc.).

Here are some suggestions for gifts (though you should feel free to get anything that your good, common sense tells you would be appropriate):

For All ages
Disposable cameras Hats/Gloves/Scarves/Mittens (new in kids' sizes) Playing cards Radios Small hand-held video games (with batteries) Sports equipment (basketball, soccer ball) "Stocking stuffers"
	For Preadolescents Baby dolls & clothing Blocks Board games (Candyland, Chutes & Ladders) Books	Coloring books & crayons Play-Doh Plastic animals and dinosaurs Tool and cooking sets Toy cars Wooden jigsaw puzzles
Adolescents Art supplies (pastels, markers, brushes, paint sets, paper, chalk) Binoculars Board games (Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble) Books Building sets (Legos, Lincoln logs) Chess set Frisbees Jump ropes Musical instruments Science kits

No: toys that require electricity; violent toys (guns, violent action figures); toys that shoot projectiles.

If you don't want to give a toy, please consider giving toiletries (lotion, kleenex, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes) and school supplies (pens, paper, backpacks) for the shelter.

In addition, we'll be collecting "Change for Change" to benefit the American Cancer Society. Just drop your pocket change into the canisters located on each table.

CALL members wishing to participate but who can't go to the meeting may drop-off items in advance at the Chicago-Kent Law Library (565 W. Adams St./9th floor). If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this project or the Community Service Committee, please contact Holly Lakatos (312-906-5690) or one of the Committee members!

Thank you for your support!!!