December 19, 2023 | News

Toys Distribution to families in need by CCBQ

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Organizes a Toys Distribution to Families in Need
The 13th Annual Santa’s Toy Shop Serves 3,792 Children So Far

Brooklyn, NY – Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens organized a toys distribution to families in need on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15 during Santa’s Toy Shop at St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn. Toys were also distributed on Thursday, December 21 and Friday, December 22 at St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church in Queens.

Now in its 13th year, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens served 3,792 children and 1,507 families so far. At each of Santa’s Toy Shops, Catholic Charities uses a model that offers parents and caregivers the opportunity to personally choose an age-appropriate gift for their children.

In preparation for Santa’s Toy Shops, staff and volunteers were hard at work sorting through donated toys and delivering them too St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Gabriel, two parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn, ensuring they get into the hands of children and families most in need.

Last year, Catholic Charities distributed toys to over 3,000 children serving approximately 1,500 families before the Christmas holiday and this year, the need is greater. Slots were filled to capacity and more families were on a waiting list. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is thankful to the community for helping spread holiday cheer by purchasing a gift(s) via our Amazon Wishlist. These additional toys enabled us to make the holidays brighter for even more families. Items were shipped directly to us after choosing CCBQ Santa Toy Shop’s Gift Registry Address as the shipping address at checkout. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens could not do this work without the support of our donors and volunteers. We are so grateful to the community and wish everyone a happy and health Merry Christmas!

Media Coverage:

Volunteer ‘Santa’s Elves’ Join CCBQ To Give Christmas Joy to Needy Children, The Tablet, December 18, 2023
Custom House Receives Plaque for Longstanding Toy Drive, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 18, 2023
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Distributes Toys to Families in Need, Queens Latino, December 16, 2023
Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 12/12/2023, Currents News, December 12, 2023 (Skip to 00:06:13)

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Photos courtesy of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.

About Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens: For over 124 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, older adults, and those struggling with mental illness. Since 1975, Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation, the affordable housing developer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, has been transforming vacant land and buildings into affordable housing units and transforming the lives of individuals and families, and completed more than 4,567 units with supportive services for seniors, families, veterans and the formerly homeless. Since the pandemic began, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has provided much-needed food packages and services at 60 Catholic Charities parish-based food pantries and has distributed over $12 million in food assistance. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens continues to deliver crucial mental health counseling, housing services, family services, early childhood education, and emergency services. For more information, please visit www.ccbq.org ad connect with us on Facebook @catholiccharitiesbq, X (formerly known as Twitter) @cathcharitiesbq, and Instagram @catholiccharitiesBQ.