A holiday-time fundraiser is promising sweet rewards for those who take part. Ida's Cupcakes Cafes are offering a free coupon for a cupcake to those who donate toys to The Giving Plate's toy drive. People can bring a new, unwrapped toy to any of the three Ida's locations in Central Oregon through Dec. 15. Those toys will then go to The Giving Plate's "Jingle Store," where kids can come to "shop" for gifts for people they love. The Jingle Store is open to kids ages 2 to 17 Dec. 16 and 17 at the Riverhouse in Bend. Each child gets $10 in Jingle Bucks to spend on things they want for others and get them gift-wrapped. More information on the toy drive is available at thegivingplate.org/jingle.
For those less inclined to shop for toys, the Giving Plate is also part of the Source Weekly's Central Oregon Gives program, which invites people to donate money to any number of local causes and get great thank-you gifts in exchange. Find the program at centraloregongives.com.
