Blog
Right in time for the new year, Second Chance Toys is excited to announce that Erewhon Market has joined our toy recirculation network as a Valued Supporter.
Erewhon Market is a Certified Organic Retailer and Certified B Corp with 10 locations in the Los Angeles area. According to their website, Erewhon believes “[that] nutrition is the key to a radiant lifestyle. Through [their] markets, [they] endeavor to provide exceptional organic products that inspire good decision-making and healthier communities.” For SCT, a nonprofit organization striving to change how families make household decisions, what toys to buy, when and where to toss them, Erewhon’s mission couldn’t resonate more!
We are extremely thankful to Erewhon for joining us by way of an incredible Round UP initiative for the Season of Giving. Second Chance Toys was selected to be the recipient and featured nonprofit organization to which guests could donate funds by rounding up their totals at the register. The Round UP opportunity lasted for a weeklong period, not only bringing in donations, but also helping to gain exposure for the SCT waste-need circular economy in Southern California.
Erewhon’s entire team took part in this initiative, resulting in $12,091 raised for Second Chance Toys. This impact equals:
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20,000 toys diverted from landfills and rehomed to organizations serving kids in need.
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40,000 children positively impacted with each round of shared play.
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240 sets of cleaning and packing materials for volunteer teams to rehab toys before redistribution.
It is an honor to work together with a supporter with whom we share the same values; Healthy, compassionate families and communities, eco-conscious packaging and business, and most importantly, collaborating with others to be a force of good.
We are so excited to continue on with more initiatives and we thank Erewhon for the beginning of a wonderful journey of sustainability together!
This Paramount Community Day 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) and Second Chance Toys.
Since the beginning of our collaborations, the Paramount community has given immense support behind the scenes as a Valued Supporter, as well as on the front lines, where they have saved thousands of toys from landfills and kept them in circulation and where they belong, in the hands of deserving children.
In celebration of Community Day 2023, and in conjunction with the earlier Earth Month, Paramount hosted two far reaching yet close-to-home impactful initiatives with Second Chance Toys.
Firstly, as spring approached and the yearly cleaning season began, Paramount families were invited to clear out their own outplayed toys sustainably with SCT. Led by the Corporate Social Responsibility Team, this initiative allowed families to make an impact from their own homes, by packing up and shipping outplayed toys directly to one of the Second Chance Toys recipient organizations. SCT hosted a short information session over video conference, and prepared a simple set of instructions for donors on which toys are acceptable to donate. Since Paramount graciously underwrote shipping, and the community was eager to make an impact in another area, this batch of toys was matched with one of SCT’s newest partners, New Beginnings 4 U Inc. of Raleigh, NC.
Though Spring Cleaning was finished out, the demand for toys continues to grow everyday, and as always, Paramount was geared up to continue to work to fill it! This Community Day on June 14, Paramount sent a delegation of volunteers to SCT satellite toy drop-off location, Fair Lawn, NJ Recycling and Public Works. The crew spent the morning working tirelessly to screen donations in preparation to be re-circulated in the surrounding communities. This comprehensive screening included unpacking, cleaning, refurbishing, and reuniting small parts, all culminating in packing the toys up for pick-up. All together 500 toys were inspected and cleared for donation, therefore averaging about 2,000 pounds of unnecessary plastic waste diverted from landfills.
Team co-captain Danielle Rowe-Jackson reflects on the experience: “It was truly a pleasure to work with you and your team at Second Chance Toys. I think we all loved the idea of giving a toy another opportunity to make a child happy.”
These items have been matched with the New Jersey Community Development Corporation of Paterson, NJ, where they will be distributed to children and families they serve in the Great Falls area of Paterson.
“It is such an honor to be included in the Paramount Community Day lineup once again. SCT is especially proud and excited this year to have the Paramount team back out in-person with us screening toys for the first time since 2019! Feels great to be back outside, making an impact and having a great time!” says Zoe Cook-Nadel, Director of Second Chance Toys.
An entire decade, countless memories, and tens of thousands of toys later, Second Chance Toys is extremely grateful to call the Paramount CSR and the entire community part of our family. We can’t wait to see what the future holds and continue to make innovative impacts with Paramount.
Once again Citi has shown their devotion to the environment during the yearly Global Community Day campaign with another initiative alongside Second Chance Toys. This year’s projects were extremely special as Citi and SCT were able to come together in person for the first time since 2019 to screen toys in a close-to-home experience.
To celebrate this in-person reunification, on June 24 the Citi Volunteers team, led by Program Manager and longtime SCT contact and friend, Reem Aliessa, sent a delegation of volunteers to SCT year-round toy drop-off location, Paramus, NJ Recycling and Public Works. This awesome volunteer crew spent the morning screening donated toys in preparation for distribution to SCT recipient organizations in nearby Essex County. The comprehensive process included unloading, sorting, cleaning, refurbishing, and finally repacking items that were dropped off at the collection site and getting them in good-as-new shape so they could be picked-up and for distribution and programming within the following week.
Second Chance Toys arranged for pick-up the following week, and on Monday June, 26 all 400 cleaned and refreshed toys were delivered to SCT recipient organization and partner, Saydah’s Community Action Center of Newark, NJ. All toys were distributed to children and families that Saydah’s team serves in Newark's Central Ward.
In addition to the hands-on opportunity, Citi also provided a chance for families in the community to sustainably declutter their own homes, while making an environmental and social impact. Citi Volunteers and the building management team arranged to have space in the NYC HeadQuarters office where employees could bring their gently-used toys for donation. Over the course of two weeks the Citi Volunteers team also sent out communications to employees about the declutter opportunity.
At the end of the collection period, SCT provided pick-up and delivery to the matching organization, Yaseen Orphans Foundation of the Bronx, NY. These toys were distributed at a community July 4th celebration, leaving just over one week’s time until the toys met the hands of deserving children, and completing a successful turnkey initiative.
All together this Global Community Day 2023, Citi volunteers made an incredible double impact by diverting at least 2,000 pounds of unnecessary plastic waste from landfills, while simultaneously matching that potential waste with the growing need for toys in underserved communities. With a total of 500 screened toys recirculated, Citi has also positively benefited at least 1,000 children with each round of shared play.
Second Chance Toys is extremely proud to call the entire Citi community our Valued Supporter, partners, and friends and we look forward to continuing to innovate and create lasting impacts together for many years to come.
If you live in New Jersey, you can donate toys anytime through our NJ recycling center programs. The following are the locations which collect toys throughout the year. Before visiting, be sure to check the location's hours of operations at their websites, linked below.
*If you have broken or incomplete toys that cannot be donated, remember that most plastic toys are NOT recyclable in household waste streams. We can still help you recycle them responsibly though through SCT x TerraCycle! Request free shipping labels for all of your broken, incomplete, or unsafe toys.
Toy Donation Locations
Westfield, NJ 07090
Greetings SCT partner organizations! We are so honored to have each and every organization in our network joining forces to divert as much plastic from landfills, while simultaneously filling the need for toys among underserved children in the United States. Thank you all for all that you do in serving countless communities across the U.S.A., and helping our impact to grow each year! So far together the SCT family has diverted over 411,000 good-as-new toys from landfills and put them into the hands of children in need, and we can’t wait for more!
Now that you’ve been approved, here’s what will happen next:
1. Your organization will be listed on our map of recipients in the U.S.A. Your short profile will tell potential donors in your area what kinds of items you’ll accept, if they can drop-off at your facility, whether or not you can pick-up toys, as well as the maximum number of toys you will accept.
2. This profile will be visible to the public, but will only accept donation registrations twice yearly (Earth Month (April) and December for the Holiday Season).
3. When a potential donor logs onto our website during a donation season, they will search their zip code to find a recipient organization near them to donate their toys.
4. Families and group toy drives (schools, community centers) will be able to register to donate to any organization in their area, as long as they have the appropriate items and quantity. Once the SCT team receives donor registrations, we will introduce you to them directly via email to swap contact info. From there you MUST be in contact with your donor(s) to arrange for a convenient pick-up or drop-off time and date. The matching email will look something like this:
5. You will NOT be matched with a donor who has a greater number of toys than your maximum, but you may be matched with a donor who has fewer than your request. The minimum amount of toys you should receive from a donor is 50 items. You may be matched with multiple donors.
6. All collectors are made aware of our donation regulations, but please be aware that some donations may not be up to standard, as noted in the Recipient Organization Release Terms.
7. Important: Toys are never guaranteed. Due to the nature of the Second Chance Toys waste-need system, we are dependent upon our own communities to engage in circularity. There must be a toy drive or donor in your area who registers with us in order to receive donations. That being said, we encourage you to share and market your affiliation with Second Chance Toys in an effort to let your community know that you are accepting donations for the season. We also recommend making use of your official SCT recipient badge graphic, which was sent to you upon organization approval, on your website or social media channels.
Communication is very important and we will need to be able to easily get in contact with you, so be sure to look out for any messages from the following email addresses: info@secondchancetoys.org and operations@secondchancetoys.org.The same goes once your organization is matched with a donor. You must be able to communicate easily in order to plan for a toy hand-off, be on time for the date you make in order to maintain your matching donations and the chance to receive toys in the future.
Please feel free to contact us at either of these emails above with any questions, concerns, or to update your contact or demographic information (change of address, phone number, etc.).
Once again, welcome to the SCT circularity network; We look forward to working with you!
Spring Cleaning is quickly approaching, and we know you've all been dreaming about tossing out everything in that cluttered playroom, but we have a better way to organize! Instead of trashing toys, recirculate with Second Chance Toys. When you donate outplayed toys with SCT, you can make your declutter impactful by actively giving back to your community and diverting good-as-new toys from landfills. There are a few things to keep in mind though, so read on for our do's and don'ts of giving back with SCT.
DO'S
1. DO: Donate Clean Toys
Before registering your donations, please make sure that all of the toys are clean. We recommend using some gentle wipes or mild dish soap to wipe off any surface dirt or grime.
2. DO: Check for Complete Sets
Please make sure that all dontions are complete. All playsets, puzzles, board games, and craft kids should include all required parts and pieces (small pieces attached with zip-top baggies or tape).
3. DO: Include a Special Message
When you recirculate toys with Second Chance Toys, your are directly giving the gifts of hope of happiness to deserving children! If you'd like to send a note to the recipient of your toy, please download and print a sheet of SCT hangtags. Write your message and attach to your package(s) of toys with ribbon or tape.
DON'TS
1. DON'T: Donate Broken or Incomplete Toys
Please don't empty out the junk drawer! Remember that when you donate toys with SCT, our recipient organizations are depending on you! Since toys are directly distributed to actual children and families served by each of our partners, please only include complete, clean, and useable toys. If you do have broken toys, help us further close the gap on waste by recycling them for free with SCT x TerraCycle. Request a free shipping label for broken or incomplete toys.
2. DON'T: Inlcude Anything Dangerous
Though it might seem simple, it's important to remember to thouroughly check your donations for any items that are not toys, or worse, anything potentially dangerous. Please DO NOT donate any explosives (firecrackers, poppers, or lighters). Along similar lines, avoid hazardous toys. We recommend the CPSC toy recall list as a resource for the latest on recalls.
3. DON'T: Donate Used Baby Equipment
Sometimes recipient organizations can accept new or very gently-used baby items- be sure to carefully check the "accepted items" section on the partner's profile before completing your registration. If you are donating baby items, absolutely NO used bottles, pumps, teething toys, bath toys, or pacificers. If there is any hint of biohazard, moisture, or mold, please do not donate.
For more information on how and where to donate, visit our Second Chance Toys Getting Started Kit
Responsibly Recycle Broken, Incomplete,
or Damaged Toys with
First comes reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle! At Second Chance Toys, we know that not all toys are able to be recirculated. Whether they’re broken, incomplete, or damaged, some items just aren’t up to our standards to be rehomed to kids, leaving them on track to reach landfill eventually.
With this potential waste in mind, Second Chance Toys is so proud to announce that we are now facilitating recycling initiatives in conjunction with three TerraCycle recycling programs to close the gap on plastic toy waste.
Participating in TerraCycle Recycling programs with Second Chance Toys is Easy!
- Request a shipping label below
- Pack up broken, damaged, or incomplete toys
- Attach the shipping label and ship via UPS directly to the TerraCycle recycling facility.
Please note: Reuse comes before Recycle! If you have outplayed toys that are still in good condition (complete sets, not broken or damaged, clean) please hold these out to directly rehome to children in need during Second Chance Toys donation seasons! During April (Earth Month) and December (Holiday Season) our recipient organizations are open to receive your gently-used toys. Search for a recipient organization in the U.S.A. near you and learn how to register donations for Earth Month 2023!
When you donate a much-needed and treasured toy, you are providing so much more than the toy itself. Here’s why:
Play is the “work” of young children. From earliest infancy on, toys provide the motivation and the medium for children to learn to control their bodies. Toys help children understand that their bodies are separate from objects, help them learn to reach and grasp, and provide a motivation to learn to roll, sit, crawl, stand, and walk. Through play with toys, children learn concepts of shape, weight, and size; by dropping and throwing toys, they also learn about gravity. The National Institute for Early Education Research suggests that without sufficient toys, children don’t develop necessary motor skills. Children learn to use language during play with toys. Studies also show that infant toys are critical for brain growth that affects learning later in life. Toys help prepare children for the academic learning that they will encounter when they enter formal school settings.
Toys are also critical to children’s emotional development. According to Pamela Schachter, M.S. Ed., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Early Intervention Program Manager, “Through toys, children learn that their actions have an impact on the world around them. Playing with a toy with another person encourages shared attention, mutual pleasure and is a child’s earliest ‘conversation’ with loving adults.”
As children get older they learn about sharing, taking turns, and working collaboratively with others. Toys often serve as emotional security objects for young children, acting as a bridge for the security of a loving caregiver during times of separation.
Toys provide opportunities for laughter, fun, and inquisitive exploration of the world. These are critical opportunities for the healthy development of children—emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
In 2023, over 11 million children in the United States – 16.9% of all children – are living in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $27,750 a year for a family of four. Just by donating a gently used plastic toy, you can make a world of difference in the life of a disadvantaged child and at the same time help keep non biodegradable plastics out of our landfills.
To learn more about the importance of play, we recommend this article and conference video from Good Housekeeping, April 2022.
This Holiday Season we were so excited to welcome Temple Emanu-El of Manhattan to our network of toy collectors and volunteers. Read on for a reflection from the parent who led the toy collection initiative and to learn more about the meaningful inspiration for the Mitzvah project.
This year at Temple Emanu-el Nursery School (TENS) in Manhattan, each class was asked to propose and execute a Mitzvah Project leading up to the holiday season. A mitzvah, in its literal translation, means a commandment, however the term mitzvah has also come to express an act of human kindness or a good deed. TENS Class 324, which consists of 18 children ages 4 & 5 yrs old, decided their Mitzvah Project would be to collect and donate their own personal gently used toys, and connected with Second Chance Toys whose initiative aligns perfectly with purpose of the class's project. The mission for each child was to select toys of their own (plastic and in good condition) that they were open to donating, with the express purpose of giving those toys away to other children who don't have many (or even any) toys of their own. The class genuinely understood the message of giving something of themselves (which to a 4-5 year old child can be a toy/toys they may have once treasured!) to children who don't have the opportunities that they have, and it became a meaningful, impactful and heartwarming project for these young kids. Over the course of a couple of weeks, they each brought in the toys they selected from home to donate, showed each one to the class, some expressed why they chose to donate them, and excitedly marked off their personal number of donations on the class's collection chart, resulting in a total collection of 56 toys altogether. The entire donation collection was then dropped off at one of SCT’s local NYC recipient organizations, whose mission is to provide programs and services for local residents with limited resources. This young group of kids in Temple Emanu-el Nursery School Class 324 were so happy and proud of their efforts, and the understanding that they were giving other young children in their own city the opportunity to enjoy the toys that they themselves may have previously cherished.
Second Chance Toys is once again so honored to have been a part of Citi’s Global Community Day Reimagined campaign. Thanks to a great team of coordinators, including Reem Aliessa, Program Manager with Citi Volunteers, Sharon Den from the Citi NYC Green Team and Brianna Cano of RCano Events, Citi volunteers were invited to collect and donate gently-used plastic toys to make an impact starting on Earth Day. Over 350 toys were collected in-person at Citi’s headquarters in lower Manhattan and matched by Second Chance Toys to an accredited and matched recipient organization, Trippinz Care Inc of Bronx, NY.
Citi has and continues to be an SCT Valued Supporter, helping us all year with hands-on and behind the scenes support in our mission to create a plastic toy circular economy. Citi has not only donated toys, but has provided funding and in the past has even sent volunteer teams to deep clean donated toys at our drop-off locations in New Jersey. Citi’s continued devotion to the environment and breaking the cycles of inequality makes this community one of our greatest assets. The Team at RCano Events is also no stranger to Second Chance Toys, and we greatly appreciate all of their efforts of time, patience, and one of the hottest commodities for toys, storage space!
The SCT accredited organization which is receiving these donations, Trippinz Care Inc. is a nonprofit group serving those living in need in the Bronx with basic necessities, namely clothing, coats, and kids items. Trippinz Care is a cornerstone of the community, helping countless families by providing some of the simple items that everyone deserves but to which they may not have access.
Thank you to Citi for another wonderfully successful season of sustainable positive impacts!
Paramount is no stranger to the Second Chance Toys waste-need solution. Through different names, places, and times, this community has stayed at the top of our list as one of the most enthusiastic and devoted groups in helping us create a plastic toy circular economy. Over the years through hands-on programming Paramount employees have volunteered with us to deep clean, sort, pack, as well as send in their own donations directly to SCT accredited recipient organizations.
The Second Chance Toys team was so excited to be invited once again this year for Paramount Community Day and for the chance to host a remote and far-reaching toy drive. On June 16, Paramount employees from across the country joined the Second Chance Toys team for a live video information session, conversation, and "virtual toy drive." Employees learned about the SCT mission, history, and operations and were instructed how they could donate their pre-loved plastic toys. Paramount generously underwrote shipping costs and employees were invited to pack up their gently-used outplayed toys and ship them off to Second Chance Toys Headquarters in New Jersey. Upon arrival at SCT HQ, our team will sort and get them ready for pick-up by 2 accredited social action organizations in Newark, NJ.
Once again, AIG has joined forces with Second Chance Toys to hold a nationwide virtual toy drive. This initiative gave employees a sustainable way to repurpose plastic toys, saving them from landfills and putting them in the hands of refugee children whose families have resettled in Michigan. For the past couple of years,AIG has been one of our wonderful Valued Supporters, and we’re so happy to have the community on our team.
This season’s toy drive was held in celebration of AIG’s Global Volunteer Month. SCT provided donation tips and information and invited employees to send outplayed plastic toys to an accredited SCT recipient organization. AIG generously underwrote shipping costs and ran multiple communication campaigns encouraging employees to participate. “Partnering with SCT again this year enabled more colleagues to support this incredible organization and cause. Employees had the opportunity to give their children’s toys a second home, thus helping those in need and our planet,” said Pamella Rodrigues, Director of Global Corporate Citizenship at AIG.
The matching organization for this toy drive was Hand Connected, the children’s program at the Refugee Education Center of Grand Rapids, MI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2006 by a group of Somali Bantu refugees, passionate about equal access to formal education. According to the center’s website, the group “...organized and created what is now the Refugee Education Center with the vision of supporting refugee children in West Michigan as they began their new education in a foreign land.”
We are proud to report that during Global Volunteer Month, AIG sent hundreds of beautiful preloved plastic toys directly to Grand Rapids where they will be used in classrooms and distributed to families that the center is helping to welcome to the Midwest, U.S.A. We are so honored to have AIG’s continued support both in front of and behind the scenes and their true devotion to the environment and kids in need.
We’ve heard it time and again, plastic is bad. And yes, it is! Many of the amenities that we enjoy and tools that we use everyday rely on plastic, and though it has become integral to our society, plastic still continues to pose issues in terms of pollution, waste, and climate change. Single-use plastic products are some of the easiest to use and it is some of the cheapest and most easily sourced materials in the world. Plastic shows up everywhere in our lives, whether it be part of our personal care products, food packaging, tools, or toys and games. Plastic water and soda bottles are durable, light, and pose no danger of broken glass. Plastic grocery store bags are impressively sturdy, weightless, and can be compressed down to take up barely any room when they aren’t in use. The issue arises, however, when we are done using these items; they are technically so easy to dispose of, but much of the time littering and irresponsible disposal takes place, whether on purpose or by accident. Littered plastic waste will inevitably seek the ocean. Out-of-sight and out-of-mind, right? Wrong. Plastic will never disappear and will just continue to accumulate, causing a multitude of issues on Earth. Plastic pollution1 contributes to some of the biggest challenges that face our environment today including adverse effects on human health, the vitality of marine ecosystems, and global climate change.
Second Chance Toys’ home State of New Jersey is taking an incredible stand against plastic pollution and the hold that single-use convenience has on consumers by banning plastic bags from grocery and convenience stores as well as restaurants. Starting on May 4 the state enacted the requirements and statutes for the majority of stores to cease distribution of disposable plastic bags. To be specific, this includes grocery stores, convenience stores, and even restaurants, and bottle shops (anywhere that you might really need a plastic bag). Same goes for single-use food containers made of styrofoam. Not to mention, this isn’t the first stand that the State of New Jersey has taken in the steps against climate change. For over 6 months plastic straws have been tougher to get your hands on! If you’d like a straw for your drink at the local coffee shop or convenience store, you’ll need to ask.
Over the past month since the ban began, lots of New Jerseyans have been understandably annoyed, as would happen with any change in routine. But as a resilient and tough, yet caring and eco-conscious group, we’re becoming perfectly accustomed to the new ban and carrying our reusable bags with pride! Much to our delight, reusable and paper straws, as well as a huge variety of reusable bags are becoming more and more popular and accessible, thus changing the NJ lifestyle for the benefit of our state’s ecological health and biodiversity. We are so proud of our home state and commend the New Jersey legislature on this momentous shift towards a more sustainable state!
#JerseyStrong
As the yearly celebration to protect the Earth approaches, so many people begin to contemplate how their families, and especially children, can safely learn how to make a positive lasting impact. Second Chance Toys makes it simple and easy to do good this year, especially with your younger Earthlings in mind! As a family, gather your outplayed gently-used plastic toys, along with those from your neighborhood or relatives. Decide which toys you haven’t touched in a while and which your family has outgrown. Once you have a total of 50 toys, register your collection with Second Chance Toys and we will match your toys with a local organization serving children in need.
Collecting and rehoming gently-used toys is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day for a few reasons. Consider that if outplayed toys were simply tossed in the garbage, they would end up in landfills. The plastic problem on Earth is one of the most challenging hazards facing our ecosystems because single-use as well as hard plastics are filling our landfills and covering our oceans. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), plastic is the most abundant type of marine litter, making up 80% of the debris found in the ocean. Marine animals suffer greatly from plastic pollution by inadvertently ingesting plastic or becoming entangled and helpless.
In addition to the positive environmental effects, donating gently-used plastic toys benefits local kids in need! At Second Chance Toys we focus on our two greatest assets, our planet and our children, so by passing on your plastic toys we can together help provide fun and creativity to kids who may not have had toys otherwise. Once your kids have outgrown their younger toys, they can share with other kids and give their seal of approval for someone else to enjoy them!
This cycle of toys also introduces the idea of circularity. As we adapt to a more circular economy and share our belongings, we even reduce the need for more plastic toys to be manufactured!
We’ve come a long way as an environment-conscious nation since the first Earth Day in 1970, and though we continue to face many threats against our planet, there are still countless ways that we can protect it together! For more information on the Second Chance Toys Initiative, how to register your toy drive, and for collector resources, check out our homepage at www.secondchancetoys.org.
As we reflect on the holiday season, we are so grateful for the honor to work together again with our friends at AIG and ViacomCBS. Though we’re still spending a good portion of our time together virtually, we are overjoyed that our supporters continue to recognize the value that a toy drive program brings to employees in terms of social responsibility, sustainability, and holiday giving.
This year AIG expanded its support for our organization. Together we hosted a mail-in toy drive enabling employees anywhere in the country to give their children’s toys a second chance. AIG generously underwrote the shipping costs and ran multiple communication campaigns encouraging employees to participate. Hundreds of toys were sent to Second Chance Toys headquarters in New Jersey.
SCT stored the toys and since the turnout was so amazing, we were able to match and satisfy the need of toys for multiple organizations: the Oasis Christian Center in Rahway, NJ as well as the Creating Unity in the Community, a program serving low-income communities of Parkchester in the Bronx. A few reactive toys that light up, make noise, or move were culled and donated to Makers Making Change, NYC Chapter, for their adaptive toy hack-a-thon, a program serving kids with disabilities and varying types of motor skills throughout the city. MMC volunteers opened up the toys and added longer wires and buttons to the mechanisms. This program allows more kids to enjoy toys that they wouldn’t have been able to use otherwise. AIG provided all the toys that were donated for the first hack-a-thon, which took place in December.
As well as the astounding volume of beautiful toys, AIG is supporting Second Chance Toys with a grant to help us continue to be able to provide such programs. We are so thankful for our AIG team and the partnership that we have in the fights against plastic waste and poverty!
ViacomCBS is one of our longest running teammates. Over the years this group has prevented literal tons of plastic toys from seeing the eternal landfill and instead guided them into the creative hands of deserving kids.
As part of this year’s Season of Giving Program Lineup, VCBS employees and families were invited to join the SCT team for a virtual discussion about our mission, the importance of reuse and recycling, and to learn how to prepare to donate toys themselves. VCBS generously covered the cost of shipping and SCT created a do-it-yourself (DIY) donation instruction sheet to be distributed electronically to even more participants across the country. The toys were sent to our nation’s capital for the Washington D.C. National Guard Family Program, which serves thousands of military families in the area. Adam Robinson, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at VCBS, and our friend and partner in planning reflects: "Our employees were so happy to have an experience that taught their kids and families the importance of reuse and giving in a fun and personal way.
In addition to the toys donated, devotion to the collection, and enthusiastic participants who spread the word, ViacomCBS is awarding Second Chance Toys with a generous grant in support of our programming. We are so grateful to have ViacomCBS on our team and as always we are looking forward to our next collection together!
Second Chance Toys is so honored to have these dedicated change-makers on our team! Thank you to the AIG and ViacomCBS communities for your devotion to the mission to reduce plastic waste while helping children in need! We couldn’t do it without you!
Part of the heart of our mission of SCT is to help enrich the lives of children in need by providing the opportunity to play, so in order to broaden our reach in order to serve more kids, this year Second Chance Toys joined forces with the NYC chapter of Makers Making Change (MMC) to aid in launching their new event: Adaptive Toy Hackathons.
Loreto Dumitrescu, a member of MMC in NYC, co-founder of Zero Day Camp in Brooklyn, and our partner in planning, describes that “Makers Making Change aims to connect makers, persons with disabilities, and disability professionals to break down access barriers to assistive technologies. Toy adapting is a way of modifying commercially available toys in a way that children with motor disabilities may activate them. Even the simplest toys are inaccessible for children with physical disabilities. These children often use custom switches to engage with devices such as tablets, communication systems, and environmental controls. By re-wiring and adding an auxiliary jack to the toy, children can then plug in their switch and play with toys they may not be able to otherwise.”
After connecting with Loreto and learning about the program we were sure that we wanted to join together and provide all gently-used toys! Since not all toys are adaptable, however, we culled reactive items that either move or dance, make noises and play music, or light up and flash to that additional connection and switches could be added. This way another group of kids can receive useful, appropriate toys, meanwhile, pounds of plastic avoids the landfill!
On December 12th, 2021 the NYC chapter of Makers Making Change ran its first ever adapted toy hackathon at MakerspaceNYC in Brooklyn, NY. Together Makers Making Chance and Second Chance Toys were able to collect and adapt 15 toys and distribute them to local organizations throughout the city.
Volunteers from various organizations including The Henry Viscardi School, Adapt Community Network, High Technology High School, Zero Day Camp, as well as local makers and tinkerers lent a hand in the work, giving the toys an electronic makeover and a second chance! We all hope to grow this event and continue to host hackathons in the future; sharing the know-how of toy adapting to help engage all children in the magic of play.
Every year Second Chance Toys' expansive network of volunteers and supporters grows larger, and every year each individual proves to be priceless to our team in the missions against plastic waste and poverty. This past holiday season we were overjoyed to work with Kiera Dunlevy, a Manasquan High School Junior, who single-handedly coordinated a toy drive in her community. Kiera reached out directly to the SCT team to discuss her ideas and get some more information. She then registered for a recipient match and took off running! She created her own marketing, monitored donation intake for quality and volume, and transported the toys to their final destination, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. Here’s how Kiera reflects on her experience:
“I chose to do a SCT toy drive for my NHS (National Honor Society) project because I loved how it combined giving back to local families for the holiday season with helping save the environment. I wasn't sure what to expect at the beginning, but I received immediate responses from local families eager to contribute to the drive when I posted my flier, many telling me how they hate just throwing perfectly good toys away. I had originally estimated getting about 50 toys but ended up getting over double that! Although it was for sure a time commitment, the general process of setting up the drive and collecting donations was pretty easy and definitely worth it. I'm glad I heard about SCT because I'm passionate about helping the environment, and it was quite eye opening seeing how much plastic may have otherwise ended up in a landfill.”
Kiera showed such superb creativity and devotion to her toy collection and we are thrilled to announce that over 100 gently-used plastic toys were donated (well over the initial estimate)! Efforts like these by high school students especially remind us of our roots and warm our hearts because SCT was founded by a teenager with a dream! The Second Chance Toys team applauds Kiera and all local teens who take on leadership roles to make a positive impact on their communities and our Earth!
There are so many reasons why donating plastic toys can be a special experience for families. Even aside from providing toys to kids who don’t have many or even any of their own, the morals that come with homegrown altruism from a young age are priceless!
Children who donate their toys become economists! When it comes to children’s plastic toys, regardless of the manufacturer, age range, colors, and sizes, the plastics being used are some of the most durable materials available. Modern toys can last in good condition for years, but kids won’t remain interested for that long. This is where to introduce trading out the “old” toys that are no longer of interest and place them somewhere where they’ll go to good use. By passing their toys onto the next audience, children learn the concept of circularity, reuse, refurbishment.
Children who donate their toys become environmentalists! With popular kids brands such as Hasbro and Mattel instituting sustainable policies, the toy industry is shifting to accommodate the massive challenge of plastic pollution. Some of these policies include reducing the amount of plastics used in packaging, offering recycling programs, and encouraging upcycling or donating. Stewardship to the Earth doesn’t just entail recycling paper, plastic bottles, and saving water, but also requires reuse and contribution to the circular economy which requires much more imagination and reflection. As toy owners, kids who are invited to add their toys to this “circle of playing” learn how to make decisions about space, functionality, and sustainability.
Children who donate their toys are compassionate! When we at SCT organize a toy collection, pick-up, or delivery, we always have the two greatest things in mind: the Earth and the children sharing it. Compassion and care for people and our planet is at the core of our mission and is what drives SCT and all of our partners to work together! Donating toys opens a conversation with our children about those who are less fortunate financially and emotionally. An act as simple as passing on our toys can bring immeasurable joy to a child and help struggling parents maintain their dignity during the holiday season. Toy donation also brings the environment into the conversation by introducing the challenges we face from waste, landfills, and plastic pollution; Thus creating a lifelong bond between children and the natural world in which we live and are helping to conserve!
Whether it’s a spring cleaning marathon, or making room for new toys before the holidays, donating plastic toys with SCT is a meaningful experience for any family looking to make a difference in the world.
It was wonderful to see that ViacomCBS, Citi and AIG quickly recognized the value our virtual toy collection and cleaning programs would bring to their employee volunteers. They included the Second Chance Toys program in their event lineups and the results were a resounding success!
Viacom CBS Virtual Community Day
ViacomCBS is no stranger to our programs. They have been a corporate supporter of Second Chance Toys since 2013. Through the years, they have diverted tens of thousands of pounds of plastic from landfills through various toy cleaning events, as well as their own internal toy collections. Importantly, ViacomCBS has singlehandedly been responsible for tens of thousands of toys getting into the hands of children in need.
For this year's Virtual Community Day, 30 ViacomCBS employees and their children signed up to participate. We arranged for donation of the almost 100 toys they collected, to the DC National Guard Families. Additionally, one event participant in California, with huge outdoor toys including a playhouse, sandbox, and kitchenette, was able to donate them as we matched her with an organization nearby. According to Adam Robinson, VP, Corporate Social Responsibility, "Our employees were so happy to have an experience that taught their kids and families the importance of reuse and giving in a fun and personal way.”
On top of the amazing turnout and toys, ViacomCBS supports us with a generous grant in recognition of our programs! We are so grateful for their efforts and participation throughout the years and enjoy working with such an enthusiastic group. Thank you!!
Citi Global Community Day
Citi has been a corporate supporter of Second Chance Toys since 2018. Not only have they invited us to be a part of their annual Global Community Day, but they also conducted toy collections for the holidays in their NY headquarters. Citi volunteers and their children enjoy participation at our recycling center toy cleanings and have made it possible for thousands of toys to reach the hands of children in need.
For this year's virtual Global Community Day event, over 80 Citi volunteers signed up to participate and donated over 300 toys, which were then warehoused in collaboration with R. Cano Events and then distributed to two local organizations in Long Island City, NY courtesy of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Reem Aliessa, Citi Volunteers Program Manager, commented: "Our volunteers were enthusiastic about the program because it engaged their children at home and taught them about sustainability, the environment and the importance of keeping plastic out of landfills."
In addition to their consistent participation with our programs, Citi supports us with generous funding. Thank you, Citi, for your efforts and for helping us further our mission! We are so grateful.
AIG Global Volunteer Month
We joined forces with AIG volunteers during their Global Volunteer Month in April, which was entirely virtual this year. We engaged over a dozen volunteers and their children in a virtual toy drive and clean up. Pamella Rodrigues, Director of Corporate Citizenship, stated, "This event provided AIG colleagues and their children with the opportunity to do something positive together from the safety of their homes while caring for the environment. It also sparked many conversations about the importance of giving back. It is never too early to teach our kids the value of community service and empathy.”
The 134 toys were sent to a central location and then distributed, courtesy of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, to one of our participating organizations in West Orange, NJ. Thank you, AIG for recognizing the value of our mission. We look forward to working with you in the future.