Toy Corner offers free playthings for kids in Savage, Shakopee and Prior Lake

Katie Vander Weit and Susie Williams have spent many years caring for children.

Both stay-at-home mothers for over 15 years, the two have devoted countless hours to volunteering their time in the classroom and at events for their children's school. They've helped with Girl Scout troops, event planning and everything that comes with parenthood.

Now, as their own children get older, the two women are trying to reach more kids. In November, they opened the Toy Corner, a Savage-based nonprofit that gives free toys to low-income families in Savage, Prior Lake and Shakopee.

"Our kids have never really hurt for toys," Williams said. "That really kind of struck us hard when we saw less fortunate kids because our kids don't even really know what that is. We wanted to do something."

Parents can pick up one new and one used toy per child every other month at the Toy Corner. Each visit, families can take home a maximum of six toys, as well as various items from the free table.

The nonprofit also offers free batteries to families to ensure the toys parents take home continue to work.

"Batteries aren't cheap," Williams said. "We want the kids to be able to play with their toys."

The Toy Shelf "gave us an idea, or it gave us something to do," Williams said.

After Williams and Vander Weit developed a plan for the Toy Corner, Williams' husband dedicated a corner of his company building to the nonprofit.

The Toy Corner got off the ground with its first donation — $1,500 from the Prior Lake Lions. It's the nonprofit's largest donation to date.

"We have done a lot with their donation," Vander Weit said.

They used it to buy new toys, batteries and cleaning supplies to spruce up used toys. They also created promotional materials and business cards.

"Prior to starting the Toy Corner … I was kind of getting discouraged about humanity, to be honest," Williams said. "And we started this, and I cannot believe how great people are. There are just so many giving people out there."

Williams and Vander Weit, who do not take salaries, rely on six volunteers to help them with such tasks as picking up toys from donation wagons, washing stuffed animals, fixing broken toys, creating brochures and looking after the shop.

The nonprofit is interested in recruiting more volunteers.

"As our word spreads to our clientele, we want to make sure we are sustainable," Williams said. "Right now we are sustainable, but if we get bigger and bigger, we'll have to start doing more events and that kind of thing."

Since the Toy Corner opened, its visitor volume has increased steadily, Vander Weit said. But, the main hurdle is spreading the word so more people stop by to take toys, she said.

So far, the Toy Corner has served more than 100 children in the area, and the response from visitors has been heartwarming, Williams said.

"They are very appreciative and there's some who are like, 'We can have this? This is OK for us to take?' " she said. "They are very humbled and when they leave, we hug."