Holiday Cheer for Poor Kids in NYC
Thousands of poor kids in New York city will get to open at least one present, thanks to a woman’s generous donation. This article from The Huffington Post relates the touching story of a New York woman who’s bought an entire toy store to bring holiday cheer to countless shelter children.
A kind New Yorker is playing her part to make the holidays happy and bright for kids in need.
Carol Suchman, a Manhattan resident and philanthropist, recently purchased the entire stock of a toy store and donated every item to the New York City Department of Homeless Services. After learning Hudson Party Store, in the city’s West Village, was going out of business, Suchman wanted to help make sure the shop’s inventory went to a good cause.
“When I saw all of the toys just sitting in the store, it occurred to me that it would be so great to be able to somehow get them to the kids in the homeless shelters that have so little,” Suchman told The Huffington Post.
For the past five years, Suchman has been buying individualized birthday presents for kids in a Brooklyn foster system, purchasing many of the gifts at Hudson Party Store. After seeing that the store was closing, but still filled with toys, Suchman called the shop’s owner and negotiated a price for the entire inventory. They reached an agreement, and Suchman shortly thereafter contacted a friend who put her in touch with the New York City Department of Homeless Services, to find the items a happy home with kids in need. Volunteers from the organization helped Suchman organize and bag up the toys for distribution in shelters across the city.
“This is the first time anyone has ever bought out an entire store for a donation to our shelter kids” Antonio Rodriguez, DHS special events director, said in a statement provided to The Huffington Post. “We are grateful for this generous donation.”
The thousands of toys, which include puzzles, stickers, games and stuffed animals for kids of all ages, will be given out for the upcoming holidays.
“There will definitely be a lot of smiles and happy kids when they get these toys,” Suchman said. “If it brings them some joy and they realize there are people looking out for them, then my job is done.”
via Woman Buys Out Toy Store, Brings Holiday Cheer To Kids In Need