Category Archives: Fundraising

FOSTER YOUR DREAM TOY DRIVE 2019!

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DROP OFF POINT: 36 WEST 44TH STREET ‘tween 5TH AND 6TH NYC!
SCOTT LORELLO King Toy Man in lobby 36 W. 44th St. NYC

WELCOME TO OUR FOURTH ANNUAL TOY DRIVE IN NYC FOR KIDS IN FOSTER CARE!

Each Year we collect toys from Thanksgiving until the first week in January. Our aim is to scoop up the good feelings of “giving” and “toys” during this time of year and reach out for toy donations! But we give them to the children all year long! Here’s why! When a child gets pulled out of his or hers or their home … they often go to the children’s center while waiting for a foster family to be found for them. Mostly they are in crisis, scared and sad. We tell the child to choose a toy for themselves and often it provides a respite of a few minutes of happiness in what is often the worst day of their life. Our kids stay at the center sometimes just overnight but sometimes a family isn’t found for them for weeks or months or even years.

There are two drop off locations and you have until January 2nd 2020! You can even go on Amazon or any department store and send toys to:

Foster Your Dream Toy Drive
36 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

or:
Signature Theatre
att: Foster Your Dream Toy Drive
480 West 42nd Street
New York NY 10036

We started humbly with an empty box!

Thanks to you, it grows daily. Almost hourly! When we first started we even got noticed by NYC Commissioner David A. Hansell! Thanks for your kind letter.

It is only Mid-December and we’ve already collected over 150 toys and! Thank you to Scott and Sandra and Janet and Angela and Mark and Ken and Burton and Colleen. You are the engine that drives this collection. Last year we were able to give toys out for HALF a year at the Children’s Center. Each year we strive to get a little bit bigger. It’s so fun. Toys must be new and unwrapped. Super expensive toys are not the best idea. Also no clothing (ACS rules!) Something smile-provoking a child can take with them on their journey thru the foster care system and put a smile on their face … that is the best kind of gift you can give us during this holiday season. THANKS TO ALL! 

Toy Drive

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TOY DRIVE was huge success!  We collected 3 times as many toys as 2017!

In December we said:  TOY DRIVE 2018 is in full swing!

You can donate new toys for any ages at the lobby of 36 west 44th Street, between 6th Ave and 5th Ave….or the Signature Theatre on 42nd street between 10th Avenue and 9th Avenue.

New and unwrapped.  Any age group.  Let’s make this the biggest one yet!  Last year we got a letter from the commissioner:

We bring the toys to the ACS Children’s Center where all ages go when they get pulled out of their homes.  The Center houses them until a proper foster family can be found.  This can be days or weeks or months.  Our mission with the toys is to give them a few minutes of happiness while they chose a toy to bring with them to their new foster home.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Rubinstein Family Fund

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IN HONOR OF ARTHUR B RUBINSTEIN, THE FAMILY HAS CREATED THE RUBINSTEIN FAMILY FUND. 




Exposing Classical Music to children of all ages and backgrounds was Arthur’s passion.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to a special fund to honor him by clicking the donate button above on this page!

All funds will be used to support Music and Arts experiences for at-risk youth in Los Angeles and New York City. The thrill of a first concert or a first broadway musical is something that always stays with a young person. Exposure to musical education could spark another composer. Your gift of music via The Rubinstein Family Fund will be magical. Thank you.

 

FYD Has Ongoing Toy Drive For Foster Children

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Our first ever Holiday Toy Drive was such a success!

When a child gets pulled from their dangerous living situation they often get  placed in the Children’s Center while waiting for a foster home. They are scared and sad. We decided to give them a few minutes of distraction and hopefully happiness by letting them choose a toy and bring it with them to their new home.

How did this start?

Painted Angel overlooks our Human Angels!

The angels at the Signature Theatre organized the first one for us.

Left to Right: Molly Shoemaker, Frank Gambino, Colleen Hughes, Sarah Lang

It started with a bin….

…and a few toys from patrons and staff …

… and bloomed in to a wonderful experience and inventory fun.  Many thanks to Colleen Hughes and ACS!

Then another surprise happened as Nancy Sing Bock from neighboring PS51 brought over a group of students with a load of toys!  Ms. Bock had walked by the Signature theatre many times on her way to her school and one day saw the sign for the FYD Toy Drive. She wanted her children to understand service and ‘giving’ first hand so they organized their very own toy drive!  Literally the day before everyone scattered for the holidays, this group came by with yet another load of toys and the Signature staff and FYD was in happy and humble shock.

THANK YOU TO ALL AND LET’S KEEP THE TOYS COMING! CONTACT ME TO FIND OUT HOW TO DONATE TOYS TO US!  sue wolf at foster your dream dot org (all smushed together!)

FYD teams up with Signature Theatre for Toy Drive

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Toy Drive for Foster Kids Spearheaded by Theatre Group

TOY DRIVE!

Foster Your Dream teams up with Signature Theatre in New York City for a Holiday Toy Drive that will continue to give all year long! For several years, foster children, foster families, and group homes have been invited to see live shows in this exciting theatre complex near Times Square. With the holidays approaching, the staff decided to do a Toy Drive for their favorite patrons … Dream Kids from Foster Your Dream!/

What’s unique about this Holiday Toy Drive is that it will last beyond the holidays. Donated toys will be brought from the Theatre to the Children’s Center in New York City. The Center is where children who are removed from their homes … often in the middle of the night … must go if there are no foster families available to take them in. Often these children are in crisis, even traumatized. The toys collected will be available for the child when he or she arrives at the center. FYD founder Sue Wolf says “We hope that choosing a toy and taking it to their foster home will provide a joyful distraction and some warm comfort to the children we are so passionate about serving!”

Ms. Wolf continues, “Foster Your Dream aims to provide extras such as prom dresses, theatre trips, tuition for dance class and karate lessons, to name a few. There are over half a million children in foster care, and we’d love to make a dream come true for each of them. With the help of such generous partners as Signature Theatre, we are one step closer to making that a reality.”

If you would like to donate, please bring a new, unwrapped toy to The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W 42nd Street during the designated donation hours from now until December 18!
DONATION HOURS BEFORE EVERY SHOW!

DONATION REQUIREMENTS

Signature is accepting new, unwrapped, any ages toys. Signature will not accept clothing or donations that are used, perishable, or dangerous.

http://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Now-at-the-Center/Foster-Your-Dream-Toy-Drive.aspx

Birthday Wish on Causes

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PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY IF YOU ARE ABLE!!!

Thank you to all that helped my Birthday Wish on Causes! (closed now)  Last year my personal mission was to take Foster Kids to the theatre.  This is an opportunity that rarely presents itself to kids and their guardians.  We have several “ins” in the theatre world, so we will have private tours before and after the show.  Check out our blog and our events to see how YOU have helped!!! THANK YOU TO ALL.

Here’s the link to donate:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1731752-give-foster-youth-opportunities-and-a-dream

Stay tuned …