I want to take a moment to thank Klutz and Guidecraft for bringing Christmas to some of the children devastated by Hurricane Sandy on Long Island. Many of these families lost everything in the storm. A toy at Christmas is a little bit of hope–it is the gift of caring to the parents and a sign to the children that things will, eventually, be normal again.
We had a drive with my daughter’s Daisy scouts to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy and I cleaned out our closets. Between our stash and the drive, we dropped off a bunch of gifts with Volunteer 4 Long Island and Camp Bulldog. Then, the call went out. Volunteer 4 Long Island needed more toys. I immediately thought of Guidecraft’s quality, educational toys. Their awesome Magneatos are on my Educational Toy Guide for 2012 and they have beautiful wooden puzzles, classroom furniture, and lots of items on my personal wish list! V4LI received so many toys from Guidecraft that they no longer needed any more for the 0-6 year old range!
Then, Candace Donin, who co-runsNew York Families Against Bullying, told me she was working with NANA’s House in Mastic. Their list of families in need was larger than ever before due to the impact of Sandy on Mastic. People love to shop for toys for little children but sadly there were few donations for pre-teens or teens. Klutz was the natural fit! I have always been a fan and the Fairies: Petal People kit is a favorite in our house. A PR firm representing Klutz immediately agreed to gather their engaging craft book and materials kits and send them over. NANA’s House let me know they received a “ton” of the kits and said, “These are not just your ordinary books, they are interactive books that will inspire young minds!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for blessing us!!!!”
I am thrilled these two people and the companies they represent came through for these children.