Members of the Queens Women’s Bar Association gathered to collect and donate toys and money for children on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the rooftop of Bourbon Street in Bayside. The donations went to children supported by the Queens nonprofit Hour Children.
Queens Women’s Bar Association President Elizabeth Newton first became familiar with Hour Children 25 years ago, when she was prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases. The mission of Hour Children is to assist incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children in rejoining their communities, reunifying with families and build healthy, independent and secure lives.
Newton said the Nov. 29 event at Bourbon Street — located at 40-12 Bell Blvd. in Bayside — was organized shortly after the organization donated food to Hour Children’s food pantry in September. Newton was told by Hour Children Senior Director of Development Patricia Daly about concerns that Hour Children did not have enough toys available for the kids they help. Newton then decided to organize the toy drive to correct this matter.
“[Many incarcerated women] have children, and the impact that you can have on a young child when they’re separated from their mother because they’re incarcerated has a very long-term impact,” Newton said. “That’s where Hour Children jump in and at least try to minimize whatever that young child is going through when they’re separated from their mother. If we can help out an organization to make a child’s life happy on Christmas day and every other day, then so be it, because children should be happy, they shouldn’t have to worry about things like that.”
Sponsors for this toy drive included Newton, Stephanie Goldstone, Bill Manolopoulos of LPL Financial, Davidoff Law, Geriatric Care Consultant Gina Aiello, the Law Offices of Donna Furey and Vreeburg and Cattry PLLC.
Additional reporting by Paul Frangipane.
