Northwest Rankin Elementary school held a toy drive in April. The enthusiastic students collected their gently used toys and brought them to the school during the Earth Week related drive. In total, the school donated 513 toys to Gateway Rescue Mission in Jackson, Mississippi.
Over 300 youngsters received great toys from Second Chance Toys of PA as Head Start celebrated both Earth Day 2009 and "Week of the Young Child" at Head Start headquarters at 440 North Broad Street in Philadelphia on Friday, April 24. A wonderful time was had by all!
From April 13th until April 18th Matt McLaughlin, 1-800-Got-Junk? franchisee, stationed drop boxes in the Moorestown Mall, Voorhees Town Center, Brandywine Realty Locations, and Kaiserman locations where over 350 toys were collected and donated to local charities in the area. The Camden Catholic Charities and the Center for Family Services were extremely appreciative of the donations and look forward to working with 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and Second Chance Toys in the future. This was the first time the gently used plastic toy drive was conducted in southern New Jersey and it was a big success!!! Matt is looking forward to growing this event and others so that we can help even more families!
Helping Honduras received 320 toys from Mt. Horeb School in Warren. Teacher Christine Burkhardt (in black) organized the drive with the students who cleaned the toys and helped load the truck.
Members of Paramus Congregational Church are pictured with members of Helping Honduras, who have loaded up their truck with 100 toys collected for Earth Week. Janice Hildreth, second from left, helped organize the toy drive with Second Chance Toys. Pastor Duke, second from right, also pitched in.
As a result of their month long collection in April in honor of Earth Week, New Jersey Children's Museum collected 540 toys that were clean and as good as new!!! Members of Helping Honduras along with New Jersey Children's Museum’s Josephine Napolitano, who organized the plastic toy drive with Second Chance Toys, loaded up the toys in time for the next shipment to help the many disadvantaged children of Honduras.
As part of Earth Week, the children of Romona School cleaned, donated and delivered 233 toys to Rauner YMCA in Chicago Illinois.
Second Chance Toys of PA paid a visit to the seventy-two children at Logan Head Start on Thursday, April 23, and the kids were thrilled. With the transportation help of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a truckload of great plastic toys were delivered to the children. It was like Christmas in April! Lots of happy faces on the day following Earth Day 2009.
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/
St Elizabeth’s Church in Wyckoff, NJ recently held a Second Chance Toys collection and was able to donate 200 toys to the children of Honduras. Pictured here are some of the toys that were loaded up to be shipped to Central America.
When Second Chance Toys got an email from concerned citizens, Pam and Isabel Reyna, who wanted to prevent their toys and their friends’ toys from ending up in the landfills, Second Chance Toys found them an organization that would gladly accept their collection of plastic toys in good condition. The High Ridge YMCA of the Chicago Metropolitan area was the recipient of 50 beautiful toys!!
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.
University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City worked with Second Chance Toys to conduct a month long plastic toy drive at their school. The drive was spearheaded by teacher, Mr. Angel Cora along with the associate member students of the Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity. The students worked hard to collect, clean and sort the toys. The Jubilee Center in Hoboken, NJ was thrilled to receive the 200 toys donated.
Brownie Troop 193, under the leadership of Cyndie Decowski, collected 150 toys and donated them to the NORWESCAP Head Start program in Washington, NJ. Pictured here are the girls who cleaned, sorted and counted all the toys and presented a meaningful donation this past December.
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.
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!
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!!
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!
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.
For our first Chicago effort, 450 gently used plastic toys were collected by Cartridge World Stores in Illinois and were transported by 1-800-Got-Junk? to the Good And Green Conference where they were on display to demonstrate what could have ended up in the landfills. The toys were then transported to the South Side YMCA in time for the holidays.
Standing in front of the display at the Chicago Cultural Center are Cheryl Furstoss and Barbar Esterquest of Cartridge World, Linda Dean of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Chris Coleman of 1-800-Got-Junk? and Sasha Lipton, founder of Second Chance Toys. Sasha Lipton presents a certificate of appreciation to Nan McCann, president PME Enterprises, producers of the Good And Green Conference held at the Chicago Cultural Center where Sasha Lipton presented the accomplishments and future goals of Second Chance Toys.
Members of the New Jersey Children's Museum (above) collected over 240 toys as part of their Holiday Toy Drive to benefit Head Start in Bergenfield, NJ. The museum received tremendous feedback from customers who were all thrilled that they were collecting "used" toys since most toy drives this time of year expect a new toy. Customers were equally pleased to hear that the toys were going to local area children in need. The donated toys we're transported by the local 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Franchise Partner of New Jersey Northeast to the Headstart Center (below).
Second Chance Toys reached a milestone today with the donation of their 10,000th toy. Founder, Sasha Lipton, decided to go back to the very first organization that accepted her toys over two years ago.
Noted Sasha, “I am so proud that Second Chance Toys has blossomed into an organization that is making a real difference throughout the United States and abroad. Babyland/Family Violence Center in Newark, NJ welcomed our gently used toys with open arms over two years ago, and I wanted to return on this milestone occasion to show my appreciation.”
Pictured with some of the 70 toys donated to the Family Violence Center are (left to right) Jamie Speight, Aminah Adib-Muhammad, Michelle McAllister, Ebony Macken and Sasha Lipton.
Sasha Lipton, founder of Second Chance Toys, will present a donation of toys t
Five branches of Cartridge World have served as drop-off locations for plastic toy donations around Chicago and its suburbs and area businesses have also participated in toy rescue refforts.
The toys will be piled in a huge mound in the rotunda of the Chicago Cultural Center to demonstate how many toys are thrown needlessly into the landfills.
Second Chance Toys, founded in 2006, has donated over 10,000 toys which has helped minimize plastic going into landfills while at the same helping children. This award-winning organization has been recognized for the waste-need solution it provides to communities.
Evergreen School in Scotch Plains, NJ teamed up with Second Chance Toys to put the "giving" in Thanksgiving. The students collected gently used plastic toys and donated them to Union County Social Services for the 3,000 families in need. The fourth graders tagged the toys and wrote special wishes on the back of each tag.
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Students Helping in Education Leadership and Diversity), a program of Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, is spearheading a Second Chance Toys collection at University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, NJ. The principles of the group are to provide service to the community, promote leadership development in young males, to promote cultural awareness of themselves as well as their peers and to better prepare for life after high school. They group plans to donate the toys in the following Thanksgiving to the Head Start program in Jersey City. For any further information about S.H.I.E.L.D. program, please email the faculty adviser to the group, Angel Cora: phiman71@hotmail.com.
Hundreds of useable plastic toys were collected from participating Investors Savings Bank branches serving as Second Chance Toys drop-off locations to benefit disadvantaged children while helping save the environment.
A load of newly acquired toys from our Investors Savings Bank toy drop off locations was donated today to Families and Communities Together in Mountainside. Kim Castaldo, Community Service Case Manager, distributed the toys among the social workers that service the families and their children.
Woodmont Day Camp in New City, NY and Second Chance Toys teamed up to collect toys for needy children. Nearly 200 toys were rescued and donated to Jewish Family Services of Rockland County.
Sasha Lipton donates 85 toys to the Family and Children's Services of Central NJ to help the toddlers in the Family Child Home Program. Pictured are Tania Tapia, program manager and Marla Rivera, her assistant, who work with parents to show them how to use the toys to play with and teach their children.
