Brooklyn, NY, December 19– Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens proudly held its annual Santa’s Toy Shop event on Thursday, December 12th and Thursday, December 19th. For 14 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been committed to distributing toys to families in need. This year, we continued to face significant needs in our communities, with our appointment slots for toy pick-ups filled to capacity and many walk-ins welcomed.
The December 12th event was held at Saint Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church, 925 E 37th St., Brooklyn, NY. On December 19th the event was held at St. Gabriel Church, 26-26 98th St, East Elmhurst, NY.
Parents and caregivers had the unique opportunity to choose age-appropriate gifts for their children from our extensive selection of toys. Shopper Elves, volunteers dressed as elves, were available to assist families in selecting the perfect gifts.
This event is a testament to the kindness and willingness of parishioners and community members throughout Brooklyn and Queens to provide for those less fortunate in their neighborhoods and for countless children to feel the Christmas spirit of giving and joy. “For many children, this is the only gift that will be under their tree this year. And we’ve had parents crying to be able to provide at least a gift for their child,” said Debbie Hampson, Senior Director of Community Outreach Services at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.
Brian Zilm, a volunteer from TD Bank said “Volunteering is something that’s very important to me. Giving back to the community and seeing the community engagement and how happy people are. It really makes you feel valued yourself in doing the work. Myself, my family, my company, we love to give back and so that’s what we’re doing here today.” Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is deeply grateful to the staff and volunteers who help make these events possible at Christmas time.
For more information about Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and upcoming initiatives, please visit www.ccbq.org/
Follow us on social media for updates: Instagram: @catholiccharitiesbq, Facebook: @catholicharitiesbq; X: @cathcharitiesbq
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Photo 1: Volunteers and staff gather together at Saint Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church in preparation for Santa’s Toy Shop.
Photo 2: Volunteers from TD Bank lent a helping hand and provided lunch for staff and volunteers on December 12th and helped out again on December 19th.
Photo 3: Helper Elves could be seen all over Saint Vincent Ferrer Church helping parents through the Toy Shop.
Photo 4: Helper elves guided parents to the right gift for their children at Saint Gabriel Roman Catholic Church.