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This week, Second Chance Toys came to New York's Lower East Side with a bounty of toys for The Educational Alliance and its Head Start Program. These gently used plastic toys, most certainly destined for a land fill, have now found a new home. The Educational Alliance is one of the first settlement houses on the Lower East Side. It is a community-based organization offering a wide range of programs that integrate education, social services, arts and recreation throughout Downtown Manhattan. Originally founded to help Eastern European Jews assimilate into American society, it has proven to be an important stepping stone for all that have begun their American journey in Downtown Manhattan. The Educational Alliance now has 80 programs at 32 sites.To help make this all possible, 1-800-GOT-Junk? provides pick-up and transportation from drop-off locations to organizations like The Educational Alliance.
I am writing from the Bergen County Head Start Program in New Jersey. We were the recipients of your donations at our Bergenfield NJ location. We just wanted to thank you for your generous donation to our program. The toys were in excellent condition and as we service 3, 4, and 5 year olds and their families, the fact that everything was sorted by age was a life saver for us!
Thanks so much for your generosity to our program
Sincerely,
Arlene M.TigheSocial Service SpecialistBergen County Head Start Program
This December, Kindergarten students from Disney Magnet School in Chicago got to experience what giving is all about. With the help of Second Chance Toys, the students donated over 100 gently used toys to the Humboldt Park YMCA as part of their Citizenship unit in social studies. Students were encouraged to go home and look for plastic toys that were still in good shape and had all their parts. This was a very daunting task for the five year olds, most of whom had never considered the idea that other children in their own city would not be receiving toys and other gifts this holiday season. The seven Kindergarten teachers organized the drive, and all were quite pleased with the outcome -- seven garbage bags full of toys that would be put to good use at the west side YMCA. "The children really got caught up in the spirit of giving," commented one teacher. "Many students really seemed to step outside of themselves and see things from a new perspective -- which is very challenging for young children and quite rare." The Kindergarten team expects to hold another drive this spring for Earth Week.
The grassroots Second Chance Toys of PA initiative is taking off. This holiday season, Kyle and Cara Scott's young organization (barely 2 years in operation) is donating another 1,200 recycled plastic toys to children throughout Bucks County, PA, North Philadelphia and Mercer County, NJ. Donations are being made to 20 Head Start Centers and inner city after school programs in the area. The timing could not be better given the tough economic climate and the growing number of disadvantaged children in the region. Pictured below are just a few of the happy kids and teachers who appreciated the great holiday gifts which would not have been possible without the generosity of so many in our community.
It’s a blessing that in this economy many are still remembering the less fortunate and are giving generously to make certain Christmas is a wonderful holiday for needy children.
Thanks to staffers at InterContinental/The Barclay New York Hotel, this year’s Second Chance Toys’ New York City toy drive was a major success. According to Jocelyn Goldberg, founder of the Second Chance Toys of NYC chapter, “Without their help, this could have been a bleak holiday season for youngsters living in many of the city’s homeless family shelters."
Proceeds from the drive went to Metro Hotel family homeless shelter in Elmhurst, NY. Although, toys were not scheduled to be given out until Christmas, some youngsters got a sneak preview of the bounty of gifts last Monday.
1-800-GOT-JUNK? generously supplied transportation to make sure no toys were left behind and that each made it to the Metro Hotel family shelter in time for Christmas.
For the 114 kids at Trinidad Head Start, Second Chance Toys of PA has become a good friend. All the children at this North Philly facility received toy donations from Second Chance Toys just in time for the holidays. At a rollicking party on Tuesday, December 23, the kids and their teachers gathered to thank Second Chance Toys of PA co-founders, Kyle and Cara Scott (holding the "Thank You" sign in the rear of the photo) and enjoy their "new" toys which are actually refurbished and recycled plastic toys that look and work "good as new".
Second Chance Toys of PA delivered toys to children at Morrisville Head Start in Morrisville, PA just in time for the holidays! At a special party on Tuesday, December 23, the kids and their teachers enjoyed their new toys and some great holiday snacks too. There were more than enough smiles to go around!
Parents and children from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill participated in a toy drive to support Second Chance Toys of PA toy donations during this holiday season. The effort was part of UUCCH's Religious Education program and was a tremendous success that will benefit lots of local children in need!
On December 21st, the JCC of Central New Jersey conducted a Second Chance Toys drive as part of their Mitzvah Day activities. Pictured are two employees of the Plainfield Teen Parenting Center picking up the 40 toys that were donated in time for the holidays.
Marks Paneth & Shron LLP rallied to bring much needed toys to less fortunate New Yorkers this holiday season. MP&S partnered with Second Chance Toys to run their 2008 toy drive. HR Staffers Anne Marshall and Jessica Helf rallied the troops by setting aggressive goals, reminder emails and creating a strong commitment to keeping the giving spirit alive. The result? MP&S employees collected a total of 134 used and new toys!
MP&S, whose origins date back to 1907, is the 28th largest accounting firm in the U.S., and the 15th largest in the New York area. The company, headquarters in Manhattan, has over 500 employees with additional offices in Westchester, Long Island and the Cayman Islands.
The Mendham Cooperative Nursery School conducted a Second Chance Toy drive during the first week of December. The small preschool in Mendham, New Jersey has a big heart and a history of giving back to the community. It collected over 100 gently used toys and donated them to the Morristown Neighborhood House (MNH). The preschool and its families hope that it helps make the holidays a little brighter for MNH and the 1500 children it serves in the Morris County area. What a great way, especially during the holidays, for the school’s little ones to learn about recycling and giving to others.
To make the holidays bright, close to 150 toys were distributed to the Bellmead Housing Site in Newark to many smiling children and parents!! Katrice, pictured above, contacted Second Chance Toys to provide the gently used plastic toys for a second year in a row!!
In the spirit of the holidays, Ridge Ranch Elementary School in Paramus, NJ collected and donated Second Chance Toys to help benefit the children of Bergenfield Child Development Center. Ms. Costello, led the toy drive along with the Student Council. They hope to have another collection for Earth Week in April 2009.
Representatives from Johnsville Head Start in Warminster, PA loaded up a bus load of toys for the 90+ boys and girls in their center. The toys are like brand new and are going to make this holiday season a little more jolly for lots of local families who appreciate the helping hand!
The 5th - 8th graders who comprise the Youth Ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doylestown, PA decided they wanted to help Second Chance Toys with a toy drive of their own this holiday season. The results were astounding! The kids collected and cleaned 637 toys which Second Chance Toys will donate before Christmas to deserving kids throughout Bucks County and Philadelphia, PA. Kyle and Cara Scott who founded Second Chance Toys of PA, met with the kids at Mount Carmel to discuss how their charitable efforts will pay off to help both the environment and so many children who are in need this holiday season. What a blessing!
Thanks to Marisol, Veronica and Daniel Cuellar who gave up their toys to help other kids this holiday season! Every little bit helps and makes a big difference to children in our back yard!
Despite a continuing drone of bad economic news and job losses, New Yorkers on the Upper East Side turned out in droves to support Second Chance Toys’ holiday toy drive.
With the help of Glenwood Management, builder, owner and operator of more than 20 luxury apartment buildings, and Agata & Valentina, purveyor of gourmet & specialty foods, the UES neighborhood came to life this week.
Second Chance Toys rescued nearly 150 gently used plastic toys that most certainly would otherwise have been destined for a local landfill. Instead, these toys are being recycled through donations to disadvantaged families. Organizations like Homes for the Homeless, which provides shelter for needy families at 5 NYC locations, is finding a second chance for these non-biodegradable plastics and bringing joy & happiness to needy families at the holidays.
According to Jocelyn Goldberg, founder of the Second Chance Toys’ NYC chapter, "It's touching to see young kids offering up their favorite toys to children they know need them more."
Later this month, big business steps up too with toy drives at Intercontinental Hotels Barclay NY location and Marks Paneth & Shron LLP -- a 500 person regional Accounting & Professional Services firm. These drives are being integrated into this year’s holiday celebrations in an effort to give back to the community. 1-800-Got-Junk? will provide transportation for donations and deliver toys to their new homes in the NY City area.
A truck load of Second Chance Toys was donated to the Boll Family Center at the Detroit YMCA where Lori Bright, Child Development Center Director at the Boll Family YMCA and Lori Z. Bahnmueller, Senior Vice President, Marketing were on hand to accept the toys.
"The team at YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit were fabulous to work with and the event was a great success. The children were on hand to accept the toys with smiles a mile long" notes Deb Jones of 1-800-Got-Junk? who was responsible for collecting and donating the toys to the center.
