Wonder Wishlist

Thank you for your interest in Wonder Wishlist! Your donation goes straight to the children in our community experiencing homelessness. 

WHAT is Wonder Wishlist? Wonder Wishlist provides birthday gifts to children experiencing homelessness in our local (Santa Cruz) community. 

WHO is organizing it? Wonderland Toys & Classroom Resources is a local, family-owned shop in Santa Cruz, California (Aptos). We are partnering with Families in Transition Santa Cruz (FIT) and Safe Families for Children to give ALL children in our community the birthday presents they wish for. 

HOW does Wonder Wishlist work? 

Step 1: Families in need can get a blank Wonder Wishlist... this is a list they make of toys and essentials that their children want/need. This Wishlist is also where families tell us about the ages and interests of their children, and sometimes even the specific items wanted. 

Step 2: Here at Wonderland, once we get the family's Wonder Wishlist, we can shop for the birthday wishes of each child. (So fun!) We shop for their gifts at Wonderland and also at other local shops.

Step 3: Wonderland delivers the wrapped gifts to our community partners, who deliver them to the families they work with. 

WHY are we doing this? We believe that there is no such thing as other people's children. All children are OUR children. Children in our community who are experiencing homelessness need our love and support. EVERY child deserves to feel a sense of significance and belonging. When we reach out to OUR children in our community, we show them that they are valued, that their interests are important, and that they are loved. At Wonderland we help our WONDERful customers shop for birthday gifts for kids all the time. We see many families and children in our shop every day. However, we are committed to reaching the children we DON'T see day-to-day at Wonderland. By gifting toys and essentials to families experiencing homelessness, we are giving these kids the message that they deserve wonder, creativity, hope, and joy in their lives. When a child gets the birthday present they wished for, they get the gift of feeling seen, heard and loved too! 

Our Story: Hi there! Theresa and Hannah here... owners of Wonderland Toys & Classroom Resources in Aptos :) We started Wonderland Toys & Classroom Resources in 2015 because we are both moms and educators who believe in the wonder of childhood. We knew that our community needed a place where families could: 

-find quality educational toys and learning products that promote creativity and wonder. 

-get expert advice about what's developmentally appropriate for children at different stages and with various special needs. 

-get inspired by a shop full of WONDERful, quality products that help stimulate kids' imagination and curiosity; and reduce kids' screen time. 

We moved our shop to our new location in the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center in Aptos in December of 2020. Now that Wonderland is an established and well-loved small business in our community, we are ready (and honored) to give back to the WONDERful children and teens in our community who are experiencing homelessness. Thanks for your help!

Know a local family who is experiencing homelessness (or is housing insecure)and could use support with gifts for their kids? Let us know! [email redacted]