Making Hospital Stays Brighter
A stay in the hospital can be stressful for a child, but a special toy or activity can go a long way to help them feel comfortable and cared for. We use new donated toys, craft materials, books, and other items throughout our hospital year round. Before purchasing a toy or other gift, please carefully review our Toy and Gift Safety Guidelines below.
During the holidays, it is often difficult for parents to leave their child’s side to go gift shopping, so we make a special effort to give our Little Victors and their families the best experience possible.
Donor support of the Mott Toy Store makes it possible for a family member of each patient to shop for the child and their siblings free of charge, alleviating their worry and stress around preparing for the holidays. Your generosity makes the holidays magical and is greatly appreciated.
There are several ways to support the Mott Toy Store.
- Make a monetary contribution year round.
- Purchase items from our wish list.
- Shop our Amazon wish list.
You can order online to have your gift(s) delivered, or deliver your gift(s) directly to:
Mott Community Relations
Jones Family Center CW 2-722
1540 East Hospital Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-4291
The last day for Mott Toy Store donation drop-off is Wednesday, December 11.
You can bring your donation into the hospital anytime 24/7 and leave it in the blue cart next to our welcome desk in the main lobby. If you do bring in your donation, please make sure to leave your information so that we can send a thank you.
If your donation is large, we can work together to schedule a curbside drop-off where one of our staff can meet you curbside to accept your donation Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. To schedule, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your support.
Support reading and literacy for children at Mott.
Books are an exciting, imaginative, and educational diversion from the stresses of hospitalization. There are two ways you can donate books to children at Mott.
Our Inpatient Program: Mott Giving Library
The Mott Giving Library supports inpatients and their families by helping to build reader-child relationships and offering distraction from illness and hospitalization.
There are several ways to support the Mott Giving Library.
- Make a monetary contribution.
- Purchase books from our Amazon wish list.
- Hosting a book drive.
You can bring your donation into the hospital anytime 24/7 and leave it in the blue cart next to our welcome desk in the Mott lobby. If your donation is large, we can work together to schedule a curbside drop-off where one of our staff can meet you curbside at the main entrance to accept your donation Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. To schedule a curbside drop-off, please email [email protected].
Reach Out and Read® is a national program that makes literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care settings so that children grow up with books and a love for reading. Over one-third of kindergarteners in the U.S. enter school without the skills they need to learn to read. This program helps prepare children to succeed in school by partnering with primary care pediatricians to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.
Reach Out and Read® began at the University of Michigan in 1997 with the encouragement and generous support of a few special community advocates and was one of the nation’s earliest Reach Out and Read programs. The U-M Reach Out and Read program currently serves nine outpatient clinics in the Ann Arbor area and has distributed over 300,000 books since 2003.
Make a monetary contribution to Reach Out and Read.
To maintain a safe environment for our patients and families, all donations must follow the guidelines below.
All donations must be brand new, odor-free, and in original packaging.
- For durability and safety purposes, we prefer name brand items when possible.
We cannot accept the following:
- Popular collector items that have been gathered and stored over a significant period of time
- Gift-wrapped items
- Afghans and crocheted blankets
- Knit or handmade beanies and hats
- Hand-sewn stuffed animals
- Used or gently used items
- Violent-themed items (i.e. items containing guns, swords, blood, violence, etc.) including Nerf guns
- Religious-themed items or messages
- Handmade items, including greeting cards and Valentine’s/holiday cards
- Medical supplies or equipment
- Food, candy, beverages, etc.
Donor expectations:
- We understand how special your personal story is and that you may want to share it with others. To protect your privacy and that of our patients, we ask that you respect the sensitive nature of any hospitalization and refrain from including any messages, logos, or stories with your donation. If you would like to share your story, you are welcome to provide one card or short note that we can share with our staff.
- Due to infection control guidelines, donors are not allowed to personally distribute gifts directly to patients.
- If donations include any personal information, they will be removed before distribution.
- Donors should not expect to receive pictures, stories, or updates from patients or families.
If you have further questions about in-kind donations, please contact Mott Community Relations at [email protected].
