Our organization strives to serve the community in many ways. One example is our active toy making program in which our members create a large number of hand made wooden toys. We also provide plans and some parts for those who wish to make toys in their shop. These are distributed throughout the year to churches, hospitals, schools, shelters, and other non-profit facilities. In recent years our annual toy production and donations have averaged over 2,000 items. In addition to the toys we make memory boxes and cutout figures for pediatric patients at the Rady Children's Hospital. They color the cutouts and they get a box to store their supplies. This gives the kids something to do while waiting for treatment, plus they get a box for them to take home.
Another example is donating the 50 solid oak children's chairs produced in the traditional woodworking shop at the annual Design in Wood Exhibition at the San Diego County Fair. After construction, our members also spend hours finishing them with a hand rubbed oil finish. Then they are donated to worthy nonprofit social service organizations such as day care facilities, preschools, churches, public libraries, orphanages and hospitals. A set of four chairs and table are also constructed for a charity fund-raising auction. We have distributed more than 1700 chairs over the years.
From time to time we receive requests from the community to undertake woodworking projects. In recent years our members have built a play house for the Camp Pendleton Marine Base, display cases for the Design in Wood Exhibit and Palomar College and furnishings for the new San Diego Central Library. We have also just begun a project making commemorative plaques for the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion.
An exhibit of high quality woodworking projects made by students from local high school programs and Palomar College is held at the San Diego County Fair. To support and encourage fine woodworking, each year San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association awards cash scholarships to exemplary high school and college woodworking students.
Special Projects
Thank You Letters
Rady Childrens Hospital Prize Box
This is a small toy box we made for Rady Children's Hospital to hold toys they use as rewards for children undergoing treatment. It's made from solid cherry, and has soft-closing hinges to protect little fingers. It has received five coats of thinned oil-based polyurethane applied with a cloth, with wet sanding between coats using 400, then 600 and finally 800 grit wet or dry sandpaper and mineral spirits. It will be polished a couple of days after this final coat with Watco liquid wax.
Organizations that receive toys made by SDFWA
| SAY San Diego, (6 offices that help families) | Horizon Christian Childrens Ministry |
| Episcopal Churches of San Diego | Brandon Gallery |
| Presbyterian Church, KoreanKorean Baptist Church of San Diego | St. Vincent De Paul Family Center |
| Korean Christian Church of San Marco | Catholic Charities of San Diego |
| Catholic Refugee Center, San Diego | San Diego Floral Association Balboa Park |
| Jewish Children Center, San Diego | Dept. of Pediatrics, Naval Medical Center |
| Balboa Hospital Navy Center | House of Peru, distribution for disaster relief |
| Camp Pendleton Family Center | Foundation for the Children of CA |
| North Island Navy Center | Waldorf School of San Diego |
| Congregation Beth Israel | Family Health Centers (ll centers in county) |
| San Diego Regional Center for speech & language disorders | House of David, Church of God |
| Start Smart of San Diego, (6 separate offices) | Rady Children's Hospital |
| Lakeside Christian Helps Center | A Child's Center of Wonder & Discovery |
| California School Employees Association | Nortre Dame Academy |
| Kyyper Preparatory School | San Diego Coalition for the Homeless |
| North County Preschool | County of San Diego Health and Human Services |
| Head Start | St. Clares Home, Escondido |
| Childrens Museum, Encinitas | Bayside Community Center serving North Central S.D. |
| North City Preschool, Poway | Los Angeles orphanage, Tijuana, Mexico |
| El Cajon Fire Dept (serving 3 centers for children) |