This group is giving toys, books and crafts to Detroit kids staying at home, and they could use some help

(FOX 2) - When parents pulled up to one of Detroit's food distribution centers last week -- the kids in the car were excited to see more than just groceries.

“To see those kids’ faces - that they were receiving something to do - they were just in awe,” said Shweta Shah.

Shweta of the Jaya Charitable Foundation realized with schools closed down, sports canceled and summer camps empty. many Detroit kids are just ... at home.

“The days are long. It’s hard to stay in touch with their friends, so there’s a lot of that isolation going on,” she said.

With many people across the state out of work, parents may be focusing on just trying to get by.

“They’re trying to survive. They’re trying to pay their bills. They’re trying to make ends meet right now and it’s so difficult for all of us,” Shweta said.

So they started the TLC initiative - Toys, Literature, and Crafts -- and began collecting donations. They teamed up with a local business, Toylogy Toys, and were able to hand out 250 items at the Detroit Southwest Ford Resource and Engagement Center.

Some of the items include paper pads, crayons, sidewalk chalk, paints, games like Sorry and Life, jigsaw puzzles, and books for kids of all ages.

“For these kids, morning to night, there’s very limited opportunities for engagement, for literacy, and so we were able to provide something,” she said.

They gave out gifts at one food distribution site, but hopefully with more donations they can reach more kids.

“We’d like to be hit each of the sites on different days and that way we can reach a majority of children in the Detroit Public School district,” Shweta said.

They are accepting monetary donations on Venmo: @JayaCharitableFoundation

For information on drop-off locations, email: info@jayafoundation.org for drop-off locations. For contact information, visit their Facebook page by clicking here.