UPDATE! Due to the snow, the Christmas Wish House will be open on December 13, 14 & 17.

Hickory – The Hickory Police Department has started collecting toys and monetary donations for the Cops for Tots Christmas Wish House. The program began in the early 1980’s by serving only about twelve families. It has expanded over the years and in 2008 almost 2300 children benefited from the Cops for Tots program.

The location of the Christmas Wish House will be the Old Soup Kitchen building located at 131 Main Avenue NE, Hickory, NC. This is a change in location from last year. The dates will be December 11th, 12th, and 13th. The hours of operation are from 9:00 am – 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm each of those days.

Schedule for serving families is as follows:

City of Hickory (residents can attend on the 11th); Catawba County (residents can attend on the 12th); December 13th – Open to anyone meeting the requirements listed below:

You will be required to show proof of address such as a utility, cable, or phone bill. Also, those families who are serviced by the Christmas Bureau in 2018 or have been serviced by the Wish House for the past three consecutive years will not be eligible to shop at the Christmas Wish House. Hopefully this will allow more children in need to receive toys. A parent or guardian of the child must present a photo ID of themselves along with the birth certificate or Medicaid card for each child. Children from birth to 16 years of age are eligible to receive items from this program. No social security cards will be accepted. No children are allowed inside.

Collection boxes for new, unwrapped toys can be located in the lobby of Hickory Police Department; 347 2nd AVE SW, Hickory, NC 28602.

Monetary donations can be mailed to: Cops for Tots, Hickory Police Department, 347 2nd Ave. SW, Hickory, NC 28602. Make checks payable to “Cops for Tots”. Even with the amount of donated toys, there is always a need to purchase more. 100% of donations are used to support children in need or other community childhood programs. Additional information on requirements for the Cops for Tots program may be obtained by calling 828-261-2691.