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Volunteer - Creative Examples

On December 9, 2010 on New York City’s Upper East Side, children with their parents weren’t opening Christmas gifts, they were wrapping them! The families gathered at Kidville, a school and play space on East 84th Street, for a wrap-and-pack party to benefit 300 needy children living in the Astoria Houses, a low income housing complex in Western Queens. The wrapping party was a collaboration between “Big City Moms,” a group that hosts events for expecting and new mothers, and K.I.D.S., with toys and games from retail donors and manufacturers. All of the gifts - which included books, games, dolls and art supplies - were provided by K.I.D.S., while members of Big City Moms did the wrapping and packing. The New York neighborhood newspaper Our Town covered the party and quoted mom Linda Greenblatt while she wrapped a Strawberry Shortcake doll and other presents with her daughter Lindsay, age 4. “It’s a good cause and it’s nice for the kids to see that there are other kids that aren’t as fortunate as they are, and to come and help out.” The needy children received the presents at a holiday party put on by the East River Development Alliance (ERDA), a nonprofit that works to improve public housing neighborhoods. ERDA’s President Bishop Mitchell Taylor says the charity selects the children for their party based on need, and uses the gifting event to engage the children and their parents in a positive community event.

In October 2010, K.I.D.S. worked with our partner the Toy Industry Foundation to collect excess new toys from the Toy Industry Association’s Fall Toy Preview in Dallas, TX. With 50 volunteers we were able to collect $104,350 worth of toys from the exhibitors, and distribute them to the Dream Center and Rainbow Days charities in Dallas as well as to Boys & Girls Clubs affiliated with military bases.