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Barrington nonprofit rallies holiday giving with toy drive and gingerbread fundraiser for children in foster care

Katie Stewart Mon, Nov 24, 2025 • 07:16 AM

Holiday efforts take shape on Main Street

With lights strung along Main Street and calendars filling fast, a Barrington nonprofit is turning seasonal spirit into hands-on help for children in foster care. Let It Be Us, headquartered at 145 W. Main St., will collect new, unwrapped toys from 2–7 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 11 at its office, with a special emphasis on gifts for older kids and donations of wrapping paper and bows, according to the Let It Be Us - Toy Drive Event Page. The organization is also making it simple for residents who can’t shop in person to contribute; the group can purchase gifts on a donor’s behalf through its online giving portal, per Let It Be Us - Donate.

The toy drive anchors a week of giving that begins with an adults-only benefit, Candy Cottage for a Cause: Gingerbread Holiday Fundraiser for Foster Care and Adoption. The event runs 5:30–8 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, with hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, and chef-led gingerbread house building; tickets are $100 and proceeds support the organization’s placement programming, according to the Let It Be Us - Candy Cottage Event Page. The organization notes this season’s Candy Cottage marks the fourth year for the gingerbread fundraiser.

Community drive kicks off

Let It Be Us was founded in 2014 by Dr. Susan McConnell of Barrington to spur innovation in foster care and adoption. The group reports it typically collects around 1,500 toys during its holiday drive and then delivers them to Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) offices and group homes, where caseworkers wrap and distribute the gifts. The nonprofit manages about 500 cases each year and reports placements in approximately 25% of those cases; it holds a statewide contract with DCFS for foster parent adoption work in Illinois and also consults with an organization that handles foster recruitment for the State of Ohio, according to the organization’s event and donation materials (Let It Be Us - Toy Drive Event Page; Let It Be Us - Candy Cottage Event Page; Let It Be Us - Donate).

Volunteers say the drive offers a direct way for neighbors to brighten a child’s holiday. Vice Board Chair and Barrington resident Kaycee Coles, who began helping through the toy drive and increased her involvement over the years, encourages donations with the reminder that many recipients may otherwise go without gifts; she underscores that a single present can make the season feel hopeful for a child in care, according to the organization’s event materials (Let It Be Us - Toy Drive Event Page).

Why Barrington’s support matters

Barrington’s demographics point to a community well-positioned to rally around local causes. The village’s median household income is high and homeownership is widespread, with a median age in the early 40s and a relatively small share of residents living below the poverty line, according to DataUSA. Those indicators suggest strong capacity for philanthropy and volunteerism—assets local nonprofits are tapping during the holidays.

Seasonal giving trends also favor campaigns like these. Charitable contributions in the U.S. are projected to rise in both 2024 and 2025, and the year’s hallmark day of generosity, GivingTuesday, saw donations grow with tens of millions of donors and volunteers participating nationwide, as reported by AP News. That momentum often extends to community drives and festive, experience-based fundraisers.

What the numbers say

Behind the gingerbread and gift wrap is a system-wide need that remains acute in Illinois and across the country.

In Illinois, approximately 18,524 children were in out-of-home placements in fiscal year 2024, compared with about 8,188 licensed foster homes—a significant placement gap, according to CAFO.
Nationally, at the end of fiscal year 2023, 77,089 children in foster care were waiting to be adopted; 67,746 had been in care for two or more years before exiting; and 15,590 aged out without a permanent family, data from the National Council for Adoption shows.
Older youth face distinct hurdles: the median age of children in foster care is younger than the median age of those waiting to be adopted, and teens are at higher risk of aging out without permanency, according to BBAS. Those dynamics are part of why local organizers are explicitly seeking gifts for older kids.

Beyond Illinois: advising in Ohio

Let It Be Us’s consulting role in Ohio comes amid similar strains there: more than 16,000 children are in Ohio’s foster care system with roughly 7,200 licensed foster families, and on any given day about 3,000 children are eligible for adoption, according to Pathway Caring for Children. The organization reports that complex factors—including abuse or neglect, and parental substance use—drive many placements. The cross-state perspective underscores how recruitment, support services, and community engagement remain central to improving outcomes.

How you can help

Residents who want to pitch in have several options:

Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Let It Be Us, 145 W. Main St., from 2–7 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 11; wrapping paper and bows are also welcomed, and there’s an emphasis on gifts for older youth, per the Let It Be Us - Toy Drive Event Page.
Make a monetary gift and have the organization purchase toys on your behalf via Let It Be Us - Donate.
Attend Candy Cottage for a Cause on Dec. 4, 5:30–8 p.m., at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook; tickets are $100 and proceeds support placement programming, as detailed on the Let It Be Us - Candy Cottage Event Page.

As the season accelerates, the pairing of a Main Street toy drive with a festive night out offers Barrington residents two ways to meet a pressing need. Organizers say the goal is straightforward: connect community generosity with children who could use a brighter holiday—and, beyond this month, keep building the pathways to permanent homes.

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