ALBANY COUNTY — The county’s annual Adopt-A-Family drive has, in the midst of the pandemic, at once become more urgent and more fraught.

To keep donors safe, a table for gifts will be set up at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland from Nov. 8 to 13 and there will also be a drive-through for gifts to be dropped off on Nov. 21.

“I’m begging everyone out there: Make a difference if you can,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy at a press conference Monday at Crossgates.

He and Moira Manning, the commissioner of the county’s Department of Children, Youth and Family Services, which runs the drive, stood next to a giant stuffed teddy bear with packaged toys displayed at their feet.

“We know it’s been tough. People have been out of work. People have a hard time paying rent, putting food on the table,” said McCoy. “This program is more important than ever before.”

McCoy said his heart is broken when he sees requests come in for essentials like a plate or a spoon rather than for a doll or a game.

Last year, McCoy said, over 420 Albany County families benefited from the program, with 246 donors.

“Our donors are the key to making this program successful,” said Manning. “Often these people are not back in the office.” Since the shutdown, many businesses and agencies have had their staff working from home.

“So we’ve been a little creative,” said Manning. “We’ve partnered with Crossgates Mall and are going to have a table here.”

The table will be set up on the mall’s upper level near Best Buy the week of Nov. 8 on Sunday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Monday and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., and on Tuesday and Friday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The drive-through to drop off gifts will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the overflow parking lot near the Tru Hotel on Route 20 in Guilderland.

Those wishing to make donations may go online to www.AlbanyKids.com to see a list of items requested by families. “Click that you will purchase it,” said Manning.

Some of the items being collected include blankets, jackets, appliances, dishes, toys, and gift cards.

Donors may also call the Department for Children, Youth and Families at 518-447-7324 for more opportunities to contribute.

“It really does brighten the lives of children and families at this holiday season,” said Manning.

McCoy added that the gifts need not be extravagant — even a coloring book and crayons could make a child happy.

He added, “If you have an old present around the house that no one used … drop it off.”