Boys & Girls Village Thanks 2014 Holiday Toy Drive Participants

 

Many local businesses helped spread holiday cheer for children in need

Milford and Bridgeport, CT – January 14, 2014 – For 72 years, Boys & GirlsVillage has been a statewide leader in providing comprehensive care to at-risk Connecticut children and adolescents through its array of behavioral health, educational and family programs. During the holiday season, the agency also tries to make it a special time for the children and families they serve.

Boys & GirlsVillage (BGV) is pleased to thank the many local partners that stepped up and supported its 2014 Holiday Toy Drive. Collectively, these partners donated nearly $22,000 to the agency, which included monetary, gift and toy donations.

Hundreds of donations were collected by Colonial Toyota of Milford and Trumbull Marriott on behalf of BGV. Instrumental to the toy drive were Colonial Toyota of Milford’s Marketing Director Gloria Powers and Owner Robert E. Crabtree, Jr., and Trumbull Marriott’s Sales Executive Eva Jurewicz and General Manger Rich Pacino. Throughout the holiday season, both businesses hosted wooden donation boxes hand painted by some of the children at Boys & GirlsVillage. The combined efforts raised more than $2,200 in toys for the children and families served by BGV. 

Other local businesses like Crown Properties of Milford, Somerset Capital of Milford, Shoreline Dental of Milford, and Brooks Brothers of Enfield were among the many holiday donors. Organizations like Milford Women’s Club, Unity Center of Norwalk, Halle’s Hope of Milford, and a host of area schools and churches boasted it was better to give than to receive.  

“Without the generosity of others, especially around the holidays, Boys & GirlsVillage would not be able to meet the needs of the clients we serve,” said Coreen DeMayo, Development Coordinator at Boys & GirlsVillage. “These gifts of kindness offer a little more hope, a little more sparkle and a lot more smiles to so many Connecticut youth and families. To each and every one of you that found it in your means to share the holiday spirit and donate to BGV, please know that we send our sincerest thanks.”

BGV also launched its own effort to contribute to the local community this past holiday season. BGV’s Extended Day Treatment (EDT) program in Bridgeport provides therapy to children with emotional and behavior needs. BGV worked with Bridgeport Rescue Mission to incorporate charitable giving into its overall curriculum and teach children about the true meaning of giving. Through BGV’s behavioral reward system, EDT children earn points for good behavior, which went towards purchasing nonperishable food items from BGV’s Point Store. These items were then donated to Bridgeport Rescue Mission, which serves 500,000 meals annually to Bridgeport’s working poor and homeless.

“It was heartwarming to see our children taking the initiative to help others in their community,” said DeMayo. “They filled the donation box to the brim and were able to help those in need this holiday season.”

BGV also supported Grandparents on the Move (GOTM), a non-profit organization run by the New Haven Public Schools that serves grandparents and great-grandparents that are raising their grandchildren on fixed incomes. Dorothy Agnew, a volunteer for GOTM, helped organize their holiday drive. BGV donated approximately $1,500 worth of toys to Grandparents on the Move.

About Boys & Girls Village:

Helping children and their families gain a full life has been the goal at Boys & GirlsVillage for 72 years. Boys & GirlsVillage gives some of Connecticut’s most vulnerable children and families the opportunity to heal, learn and grow.

With operations in Milford and Bridgeport, Boys & GirlsVillage provides comprehensive care through its array of behavioral health, educational and family programs for children and adolescents at-risk. Their programs provide youth with evidence-based clinical treatment programs, a K to 10th grade school, family based in-home and outpatient treatment services, therapeutic foster care, a residential program for youth with problem sexual behavior, a live-in alternative to a hospital unit, and community outreach support. 

Clients come from 50 different communities in Connecticut, with the majority residing in Fairfield and New Haven counties. The children and adolescents who become part of the Boys & Girls Village family range in age from 3-18 years old and are cared for by a staff of highly trained, dedicated professionals including child psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff, clinicians, and an accomplished group of paraprofessionals. Learn more at bgvillage.org, facebook.com/BGVillageCT, twitter.com/bgvillagect, or youtube.com/bgvillage.

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Submitted by Milford, CT

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