Our Winter Wishes program gives children, teens, families, and seniors the opportunity to write letters requesting holiday gifts. Many of these New Yorkers are living in homeless shelters or come to us through our Community Partners. Our volunteers read through the letters and purchase gifts to bring holiday cheer to some of the city’s most in-need residents.

This year, many of our letters were already assigned and fulfilled before Hurricane Sandy hit. We knew more children and families would have holiday requests following the storm, and that even more New Yorkers would want to help out. So we found more organizations affected by Sandy and are working hard to fill their requests and bring more holiday cheer to places where it’s needed most.

One organization in need is United Cerebral Palsy of New York. Meg Mendelson, the School Psychologist there, said “As you know Staten Island was badly affected by Hurricane Sandy. Our preschool was closed for a week due to lack of electricity. Luckily we are not located near the water, so the building was not physically damaged. Several of our children were not so lucky. This drastic change in their lives has been quite disruptive and traumatizing, as it would be for any child, but especially for a special needs child. We also have several staff members who were affected, including one who totally lost her home. Despite this, they are putting aside their troubles to come to school and help our children because they realize how much they are needed by the children. Our staff is so appreciative with all the help that New York Cares is giving to our children.”

If you want to help the children of United Cerebral Palsy, and other organizations hit by Hurricane Sandy, visit our Winter Wishes page. Gift regisitries are set up so you can purchase gifts online. Buy a gift today and bring the holidays to more New Yorkers.

By Susan Torres

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. At New York Cares, we’ve found that the best way to celebrate the season is by giving back.

Two days before I delivered presents for our Winter Wishes program, these are the words my dad said as I placed another bunch of gifts in my garage, “I think you are going to need a bigger car.” 

I took a look at the pile, and I was inclined to agree. How was I going to fit more than 30 presents and one friend into my compact car on the day I was planning to deliver all the gifts? As I stood there fretting and thinking how I could consolidate and fit things into the car, I started to smile. I had been putting together a team of family and friends together to answer Winter Wishes letters these past few years. The first year it was just me and my mom answering three letters, and now I was up to 25 people answering 35 letters from kids and seniors. Each year I’ve put this team together, I’ve been blown away by the generosity I see in others participating in the Winter Wishes program. The requests this year include some classics like an Easy Bake Oven, a few modern requests including a Nintendo DS and things I had never heard of before in my life (what the heck are Xia-Xia hermit crabs?)

The quickly growing pile of presents each represent a child or senior who was unlikely to receive a present during the holidays. They would now have something to open and see that someone cares whether or not their wish comes true.

No matter how long it takes, I will find a way to get all these much-needed gifts in my car.

Delivery Day

It’s a tight fit, but all the presents made it in, and luckily, my friend doesn’t have to sit on the roof. As we head off to the first drop off for seniors, I am reminded of why the work at New York Cares is so important. Sara, the agency contact, at the seniors center, met us in the lobby. We chatted for a bit, and then she asked me, “Can I give you a hug?”  I said yes, and as we embraced; she said thank you.

The second stop I made at an agency in Staten Island, which serves children with autism and other mental issues. There were a few people sitting in the lobby area and they watched us in curiosity, while my friend and I went back and forth with bags and boxes filled with presents. We piled things up in their office and by the end, a section was filled with presents. The agency contact looked at the pile, and said to us, “Saying thank you just doesn’t seem enough for all of this.” My friend and I said we were happy to do it and exchanged Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas sentiments before heading out.

The next day I sent a thank you note to my team telling them that everything went off without a hitch and to say that if I get any pictures from either agency of people opening gifts I will send them along. However, in the meantime, I attach a picture of what my car looked like and a thank you note we received from a kid for another program. I also said this: “Although we are the ones that get these letters and pictures, none of it would be possible without each of you giving of yourself.”

This is true for everyone of who volunteers with us at New York Cares.

Happy Holidays,

Susan Craine
Director, Community Programs

Can you think of anything more difficult than trying to contain your excitement when you have a present right in front of you ready to be opened? How about containing your excitement when you’re going to open those presents on television? That’s even harder – but not for the students at PS 171. They sat patiently and quietly, even though their presents were within reach, until Mike Woods, the meteorologist from Fox 5, gave them the go ahead to open their gifts. Watch the video.

Not having to be quiet any longer, the students tore into their gifts donated from NewsCorp through our Winter Wishes program. As the students yelled with excitement, our Executive Director Gary Bagley, explained the importance of the program with Woods and principal of PS 171, Dimitres Pantelidis.

Many students would not have received a gift this holiday season without the Winter Wishes program. The New York Cares staff was touched by how many children didn’t even ask for gifts for themselves. One girl asked for a pair of roller skates for her brother and a camera for her parents – but nothing for herself. It was a great experience to watch these selfless children light up when they opened their gifts.

The live taping was also a great opportunity to stress the importance of donating children’s coats to our annual Coat Drive. Last year, we ran out of children’s coats before everyone who needed one got one. We don’t want that to happen again, and we currently desperately need more children’s coats. Find out where you can donate a coat today.

Thank you to Mike Woods, Fox 5, the volunteers who donated gifts and the staff at PS 171 who hosted us yesterday morning. And Happy Holidays from New York Cares!

Thanks to our generous Winter Wishes sponsors, Robert Pohly and Julie Turaj, this morning 235 lucky elementary school children from three New York City public schools got the chance to enjoy a performance of the winter classic, The Nutcracker.

The students got a behind-the-scenes look at the play at a special breakfast and demonstration by the Artistic Director, and then they sat down and delved into the magical performance. They also attended a meet-and-greet with the performers – professional dancers from the New York Theatre Ballet and children from the Ballet School of New York – where they got to take pictures and chat.

With the help of Robert and Julie, the children got a taste of a true New York experience. We’re sure they won’t forget this day for a long time!

— By Ming Hui Tseng, New York Cares Youth Service Program Associate

When 32,000 hopeful Winter Wishes letters flood into New York Cares, it takes a lot of work to get these wishes granted. I work with New York Cares’ Youth Service Clubs, and I was really excited when some of our high school volunteers agreed to read, sort, and prep the letters to be sent out to generous participants.

Twelve students and their Latin teacher turned a room at the Bronx School of Law and Finance into a Winter Wish-reading assembly line and became Santa’s little elves (minus the height deficiency and pointy ears), reading letters, stapling sheets together, labeling addresses, and tacking on New York Cares stickers for 800 letters in less than two hours.

The students cooed over the adorable letters asking for skateboards, dolls, and sneakers, and while they worked they had an inspiring discussion about child poverty, the importance of volunteerism, and how granting children and families a simple Winter Wish could brighten their entire holiday season. Thanks to their work, thousands will get their holiday wishes fulfilled! This is the magic of Winter Wishes – but shh, don’t tell the children!

The holiday season is a special time of year, a time filled with excitement and anticipation. Sadly, many families do not have the means to purchase even the most basic holiday gift. But you can make their wishes come true by signing up to answer letters from disadvantaged children and families through our Winter Wishes for Kids and Families program.

The New York Cares Coat Drive is dedicated to homeless and low-income New Yorkers who are forced to make a choice each winter between buying a winter coat and meeting basic survival needs. We collect 70,000 coats each year and distribute them to men, women, and children who would otherwise be cold. Donate your gently used, freshly laundered coats this December, host your own collection site, or volunteer to sort donated coats.

Winter Wishes is generously supported by Robert Pohly and Julie Turaj, and the Coat Drive counts on the support of Presenting Sponsor Health Plus.

When 10-year-old Trevor heard about Winter Wishes, he knew he wanted to do something special to help children less fortunate than him. His 11th birthday was coming up, so he decided to donate the gifts he received at his party this weekend to the program.

Trevor and his mother delivered the toys and games his friends had given him to our office this morning, and he says he wants to keep doing it every year. It was truly heart-warming to witness such a selfless act of kindness, and we hope it will inspire others to get into the spirit of giving as well.