Santa Comes to PS 131
Donation protected
For the last 13 years, a group of New York City law firms have participated in a community service project as the year-end holidays approach. They have answered letters to Santa from the underprivileged children at P.S. 131, a Title One school in Brooklyn. (Title One students are in the lowest economic status bracket.)
The classes were assigned to write "Dear Santa" letters asking for an item that they need or want for the holidays. Nearly all of the children usually participate, regardless of whether or not they celebrate a particular religious holiday. The letters run the gamut from funny, to sweet, to tear-jerkers.
The employees of the law firms choose a letter and purchase the gift(s). Then, one day in mid-December, "Santa comes to P.S. 131." Each participating firm sends volunteer elves to the school to assist with the presentation of the gifts at an assembly in their auditorium.
This year, of course, is unlike those other years. The school itself has been in a COVID19 red-zone, and until recently, nobody has permitted on the premises. The school is only slowly opening to students now. So, logistics of delivering packages to the students is a challenge. The school won't (and shouldn't) give up the home addresses for direct delivery, and our elves are not going to be permitted in to the school to deliver to the ones that may be there.
COVID has made life harder for these children and their families -- much harder than usual, both financially and emotionally. We wanted to do something for these kids, who will likely have their strangest and unhappiest holiday season yet. So we have decided to ask our participating employees to donate the money they would have spent on gifts to this fund. We have located a local diner that the school has worked with in the past, and they have agreed to partner with us to offer the children and their families a holiday meal. For every $50 raised, the restaurant will feed a family of 4 -- any 4 entrees off the menu. To stay or to take out.
There will be no "Dear Santa" letters this year, but we are hoping that instead, we will see some heartfelt and happy "Thank You" notes! The school will create a slideshow of all the thank you letters and we will post them here at the end of the project. Please consider participating.
The classes were assigned to write "Dear Santa" letters asking for an item that they need or want for the holidays. Nearly all of the children usually participate, regardless of whether or not they celebrate a particular religious holiday. The letters run the gamut from funny, to sweet, to tear-jerkers.
The employees of the law firms choose a letter and purchase the gift(s). Then, one day in mid-December, "Santa comes to P.S. 131." Each participating firm sends volunteer elves to the school to assist with the presentation of the gifts at an assembly in their auditorium.
This year, of course, is unlike those other years. The school itself has been in a COVID19 red-zone, and until recently, nobody has permitted on the premises. The school is only slowly opening to students now. So, logistics of delivering packages to the students is a challenge. The school won't (and shouldn't) give up the home addresses for direct delivery, and our elves are not going to be permitted in to the school to deliver to the ones that may be there.
COVID has made life harder for these children and their families -- much harder than usual, both financially and emotionally. We wanted to do something for these kids, who will likely have their strangest and unhappiest holiday season yet. So we have decided to ask our participating employees to donate the money they would have spent on gifts to this fund. We have located a local diner that the school has worked with in the past, and they have agreed to partner with us to offer the children and their families a holiday meal. For every $50 raised, the restaurant will feed a family of 4 -- any 4 entrees off the menu. To stay or to take out.
There will be no "Dear Santa" letters this year, but we are hoping that instead, we will see some heartfelt and happy "Thank You" notes! The school will create a slideshow of all the thank you letters and we will post them here at the end of the project. Please consider participating.
Organizer and beneficiary
Stacy Joyce
Organizer
New Rochelle, NY
Jimmy Giapoutzis
Beneficiary