Council Member Julie Won has teamed up with a number of community partners and organizations to provide more than 1,000 toys to children at NYCHA developments in Woodside, Queensbridge and Ravenswood last week.
Won provided $25,000 to both the New York Irish Center and Woodside on the Move to purchase toys for the holidays, providing an additional $39,500 to children’s supplies non-profit Little Essential to purchase holiday toys.
She subsequently distributed toys to children at NYCHA’s Woodside Houses on Wednesday, Dec. 10 before hosting similar distribution events at Ravenswood Houses and Queensbridge Houses on Dec. 12. All three NYCHA developments are located within Won’s Council district.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, whose Senate district partially overlaps with Won’s, provided additional fudning for toy giveaways at Ravenswood and Queensbridge Houses.
Won is also distributing toys to children in the wider community this week, hosting an event at her District 26 office in Sunnyside throughout the day on Monday. She is set to host two further toy distribution events this week – at Queens Public Library Woodside on Dec. 17 and at QPL Sunnyside on Dec. 19. Both events are open to all District 26 residents and will both run from 3-5 p.m.
Won noted that the annual giveaway is an opportunity to ease some of the financial stress facing families during the holiday season.
“We’re excited to bring back our annual toy giveaways to provide over 1,000 toys to children in public housing and throughout the community,” Won said in a statement. “The holidays can be a source of financial stress for many families, and we wanted to ensure that we could help make the season special for our neighbors.”
She praised Gonzalez, the New York Irish Center, Woodside on the Move, Little Essentials, the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement and Queens Public Library for helping to facilitate toy giveaways across the district.
Residents associations at all three NYCHA developments said the holiday giveaway ensured that children will be able to experience joy this Christmas.
Tammy Reyes, president of the Woodside Houses Residents Association, said the event helped to spread holiday cheer among children at Woodside Houses and ensured that the holidays would be a “special time” for families.
“It was amazing to see the smiling faces of Woodside Houses children at our toy distribution in partnership with Council Member Won,” Reyes said in a statement.
Carol Wilkins , who heads the Ravenswood Houses Residents Association, said the annual giveaaway is one of the association’s “favorite traditions.”
“We are so excited to partner with Council Member Won to bring back our toy giveaway for Ravenswood children this year,” Wilkins said in a statement. “This giveaway is one of our favorite traditions that makes this a special time for every single child.”
Queensbridge Houses Residents Association President Corinne Haynes similarly praised Won for her support and said the annual giveaway is an ideal opportunity to spread holiday cheer.
“Our toy giveaway with Council Member Won makes sure that Queensbridge Houses children will be able to experience the joy that this time of year brings,” Haynes said.
