Christmas came early for Brooklyn kids missing their families this holiday season, when local organizations banded together in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Saturday to hand out hundreds of shiny new toys — but none were as bright as the smiles on the youngsters’ faces, said an organizer.
“It was a very fun spirit,” said Elizabeth Max of business group the Toy Industry Foundation, which donated roughly 400 toys for the giveaway at the Children of Promise center on MacDonough Street. “The kids lit up, they were so excited.”
Children of Promise, which helps children with incarcerated parents, hosted the drive for the little ones it serves year-round with its after-school programs and day-care.
Each of the 200 kids got to pick two gifts from the enticing sprawl set up in the center’s gym — including timely Star Wars and Jurassic Park toys, timeless Monopoly board games, and arts and crafts projects.
The toys were just a simple way to brighten up the holidays for the kids during a rough patch, said Max.
“Several of these kids haven’t seen their families in months — sometimes years,” she said. “So it was a nice way for the local community to come together and celebrate these kids and give them hope for the holiday season.”
