Second Chance Toys - NYC

 The New York Kids Club (http://www.nykidsclub.com/), New York’s premier children enrichment center renowned for creative and innovative kids classes, day camps and as a place for creative kids birthday party celebrations, will be holding a gently used plastic toy collection in conjunction with Earth Week at 6 city locations from the West side to Brooklyn. Check Out the Locations Here

 The New York Kids Club (http://www.nykidsclub.com/), New York’s premier children enrichment center renowned for creative and innovative kids classes, day camps and as a place for creative kids birthday party celebrations, will be holding a gently used plastic toy collection in conjunction with Earth Week. Check back as details will follow shortly.

 
Jocelyn Goldberg, a 13-year-old Upper East Side student who founded the NY chapter of Second Chance Toys, has organized a citywide toy collection to mark Earth Week and National Child Abuse Month.  Second Chance Toys is an organization that recycles gently used plastic toys by donating them to children in need.  Schools, religious organizations and businesses throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn have mobilized drives to recycle plastic toys which do not biodegrade and often wind up in city landfills.  Donations go to community based organizations serving families in need.

According to Jocelyn, "this drive gives kids a chance to help other kids through a program that focuses on those less fortunate and the environment.  In a large city like NY, there can be a great disparity between those that have and those that don't. It is a great lesson for students to get involved and give up something of their own to help others." 

Plastic toys are being collected and transported to local charities and community shelters by 1-800-GOT-Junk?, a full service junk removal company which has volunteered its trucks for transport.

Many of the of toys collected this week are being donated to the Prospect Family Support Center, a crisis center for women and children from Abused Families.  According to Dona Anderson, Senior Program Associate & Camp Services Coordinator, "Homes for the Homeless provides early on-site childcare and childhood education to over 100 young homeless children every day.  National Child Abuse Month is a special time of year that acknowledges the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse in all its forms".  For more information on Homes for the Homeless programs and services please go to go to http://www.homesforthehomeless.com/

 
For dates and locations click here

 
Second Chance Toys with be conducting a city-wide plastic toys drive fo Earth Week to culminate at the Go Green Expo in New York City. For more information on the Expo go to www.gogreenexpo.com

Here are some happy faces from kids in the Educational Alliance’s early childhood program along with toys provided by Second Chance Toys’ holiday toy drive.
 
 

 
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.

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.  
     

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.
 
 
     

 
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.