MANHATTAN – As the holidays approach, some volunteers on the Upper East Side are putting out a call for help to make sure young children have a holiday season to remember. UES Mutual Aid Network is holding is first ever toy giveaway this December to make sure families struggling in these difficult times can give their children a reason to celebrate.
UES Mutual Aid Network is asking neighbors to open their hearts and their wallets to stock their free holiday ‘toy store’ by purchasing toys from their Amazon Wish List.
ALSO READ | 5 Ways to Volunteer This Holiday Season on the Upper East Side
Seeking a total of 225 toys, the list is packed with reasonably priced toys games and activities ranging from $10 for Jenga and $15 for Legos, to a Singing Elmo doll for $21 or a Spirograph Jr. for $25.
Here’s how it works— just log on to Amazon and check out their wish list. Select the toy you want to donate and when you checkout, set the address to ‘Lindsey Cormack’s Gift Registry Address’ (Lindsay is one of the group’s founders) under the ‘other addresses’ section, then checkout as usual.
It’s just that simple to make a difference in an underprivileged child’s life.
UES Mutual Aid will be inviting parents of children 4 to 9 years old will be invited to ‘shop’ at their free ‘toy store’ on Saturday, December 18th– plenty of time for Santa to get those presents wrapped and under the tree before Christmas.
The giveaway will be held at the Church of the Holy Trinity on East 88th Street from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
If you haven’t heard of the UES Mutual Aid Network, they’re a small group of volunteers founded during the pandemic— and though not a registered non-profit, they do a lot to help our community.
ALSO READ | Best Places to Get Latkes for Hanukkah on the UES
From clearing snow from sidewalks and crosswalks to make them passable in the winter to cleaning Carl Schurz Park on the last Sunday of each month, their good deeds in our community continue to grow. The group even gives free bread to hungry Upper East Siders twice a week.
Toy donations are being accepted through December 13th— click here to browse their shopping list.
For updates around the clock, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
