St. Vincent de Paul collecting donations for annual Santa Shop toy drive

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thanksgiving is a less than two days away, but a Louisville group is already working to make sure everyone can have a good Christmas this year.

St. Vincent de Paul has started collecting items for its annual Santa Shop toy drive.

So far, the group has more than 800 children referred for the program, and are continuing to add more.

People are asked to donate unwrapped gifts for kids ranging from infants to 17-year-olds by Dec. 7.

Parents of the children in need will then be able to select presents for their kids free of charge.

"You see people who come in and leave with smiles on their faces. Some even have tears in their eyes because they know they would not have been able to have Christmas for their children and I think every child deserves to have a Christmas," said Donna Young, director of volunteer services at St. Vincent de Paul. "It's very heartwarming, it actually makes the season for us."

Organizers are also looking for volunteers for the Santa Shop Day on Dec. 11. To learn more about how you can participate, call Donna Young at (502) 301-8688 or email her at dyoung@svdplou.org.

To donate to the organization, click here.