When Micky Guisewite’s son was diagnosed with leukemia, her world fell apart. Beyond the incredible emotional expense, she noticed that the medical expenses left her and other parents without the resources to provide toys or fun things for their children. She founded The Bottomless Toy Chest in Birmingham to address this need.

“My dream is that every child hospitalized with cancer will be able to look forward to frequent packages filled with fun, creativity and love; gifts that ultimately will help give them the miracle of courage and strength to fight back,” Guisewite said on the organization’s website.

Molly Sweet, communication major at Oakland University, has interned with Bottomless Toy Chest since August. She plans to go into nonprofit work and found out about the organization through a friend. She serves as a social media and community outreach intern. 

Sweet works to promote the charity on their social media outlets and reaches out to businesses to set up toy drives or collect donations. The organization has more than 15 companies set up for toy drives this holiday season.

Bottomless Toy Chest has a warehouse in Troy where they keep all of their donated toys.  Their goal for the end of the year is to deliver more than 30,000 toys. The organization does weekly deliveries to all Michigan hospitals with pediatric cancer units and one hospital in Toledo. 

“What we really like about the toy deliveries is that the children have a choice,” Sweet said. 

During the holidays, there is an extra push for toy collections, though they accept donations throughout the year. In December, employees and interns deliver toys each week to Michigan hospitals dressed in elf costumes with Santa by their side.

On Nov. 6, they held their 3rd Annual Bottomless Bowl fundraiser. The fundraiser sold out and was fulfilling for employees and patients alike. Participants bowled and bid on auction items at the event to raise funds for the organization.

“Seeing all the people there for the exact same cause and then having some of the patients at the event” was one of the most rewarding parts of her internship, Sweet explained.

Bottomless Toy Chest currently has five interns. Students interested in getting involved can also use it for an internship course at Oakland.

Their work goes beyond the classroom, though.

“It’s knowing that you’re working for more than the grade and the internship,” Sweet said. 

Anyone interested in getting involved this holiday season or next semester can visit bottomlesstoychest.org or find it on Facebook.

Anyone can help donate or collect toys, host a wrap party, where people package the toys for the children, or visit their website for more ways to give.

The holidays are a time of giving back. The Bottomless Toy Chest provides a simple way to brighten a child’s holiday and give some solace to families in need.