Second Chance Toys - NYC

 
Second Chance Toys is bringing the joy of the holidays to over 1,000 homeless children with its first Thanksgiving toy drive on New York’s Upper East Side.  Proceeds will be donated to Homes for the Homeless serving over 500 homeless families each day at four locations throughout the city.  Homes for the Homeless is the nation's largest provider of residential, education and employment training centers.  Jocelyn Goldberg, 13-year old behind Second Chance Toys of NYC, recruited classmates from her school and their families to run drives at each of their own apartment buildings in the neighborhood.  Jocelyn says, “ I am thrilled to bring cheer to less privileged families and to do something special that will put the “giving” back into Thanksgiving.  I know plastic toys eventually find their way into landfills.  Recycling is good for the environment and it helps preserve our planet.”  To find a new home for your gently used plastic toys, contact Jocelyn at JocelynSCT@nyc.rr.com.

In celebration of Earth Day, Second Chance Toys of  NYC held its first toy drive in a 45 story high rise on the Upper East Side.  “They say, charity begins at home, so I decided to reach out to my neighbors and ask for their help” according to Jocelyn Goldberg, founder of the NYC chapter. The 350-unit building houses more than 100 families with children of all ages.  We went door-to-door and collected over 85 plastic toys, many of which were in perfect condition and destined for the scrap heap. “Why not give them a second chance with children who could really use them.’’  Toys are being donated to Homes for the Homeless in the South Bronx. HFH shelters over 630 homeless families with more than 1,200 children each day at five separate sites across New York City.  They provide education, shelter, and training to assist parents and children on their way to long-term stability.  For more information on Second Chance Toys or to donate your gently used plastic toys you can reach Jocelyn by emailing her at JocelynSCT@nyc.rr.com

First NYC Affiliate Launched by Jocelyn Goldberg

Community service and “giving back” came to life for Jocelyn Goldberg a 7th-Grade Upper East-Sider last winter on a journey to Israel to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of a close family friend.  Traveling together with a group of 12 families (60 in total), Jocelyn had the opportunity to visit the birthplace of her ancestors and learn Israel’s magnificent history.  Instrumental to her trip was learning about charity and the real meaning of “mitzvah” -- a Hebrew word that has come to express the act of human kindness.  While there, Jocelyn helped raise money for orphans at Yeshiva Kiryat Arba in the holy city of Hebron in the West bank near the Jordanian border.   She also helped prepare lunch for over 350 poor and homeless in Jerusalem at the Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchen.  The trip kindled a passion for reaching out and helping the needy which she brought home with her to New York City.

Now, Jocelyn is turning 13 and has chosen Second Chance Toys as a way she can do a mitzvah for under privileged children.  By establishing the NYC Affiliate, Jocelyn says she “hopes to bring the gift of joy and happiness to less fortunate children here in New York City”.

While Jocelyn is not in school, or finding new toy donations, she enjoys soccer, ice hockey, figure skating, horseback riding and preparing gourmet dinners for friends and family at home. 

To donate your gently used plastic toys you can reach Jocelyn by emailing her at JocelynSCT@nyc.rr.com.