United Way collects $24K, enough toys for six area charities
It's the season of giving.
And because of the generosity of many residents, children served by six area charities will have a merry Christmas.
The Town of Palm Beach United Way’s 29th annual Holiday Toy Drive will bring joy to hundreds of underserved children and families throughout Palm Beach County, after the agency collected 2,000 toys and $24,525 in donations.
The drive, which ran Nov. 6 through Dec. 4, received donations from more than 215 individuals, families, community groups and businesses.
“It’s remarkable,” said United Way board Chairman Bill Tiefel. “We received more toys than ever before. Our community’s holiday spirit was on full display, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated and supported families in need during a difficult year.”
A majority of the toys were split evenly Thursday between three United Way nonprofit partner agencies: Achievement Centers for Children and Families, Opportunity Early Childhood Education and Family Center, and The Glades Initiative. But this year’s toy drive received so much support that the United Way also was able to donate toys to nonprofit partners Catholic Charities, The Lord’s Place and Farmworker Coordinating Council.
Achievement Centers hosts an annual holiday shop and celebration for low-income families in the Delray Beach area that need extra support during the holiday season. Using the donated toys, parents can “shop” for their children at no cost. Volunteers help parents wrap the gifts.
"The holidays are an expensive time of year, particularly this year, for so many more families than ever before,” said Stephanie Seibel, chief executive officer of Achievement Centers. “Toy donations and our holiday shop are critically important for low-wage-earning families. It’s rewarding to know that we can help families by alleviating concerns of how they will be able to afford gifts, and it is equally rewarding to see the support of so many generous people.”
The $24,525 in cash donations was divided between the following United Way nonprofit partner agencies: Achievement Centers for Children and Families, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, American Association of Caregiving Youth, Catholic Charities, Center for Child Counseling, Families First, Farmworker Coordinating Council, The Glades Initiative, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, HomeSafe, The Lord’s Place, Milagro Center, Opportunity Early Childhood Education and Family Center, Project LIFT, Take Stock in Children, Urban League, YMCA of South Palm Beach County and the YWCA.
Field of Greens, Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach Daily News and Palm Beach Fire Rescue assisted in the drive. The Palm Beach fire stations, Field of Greens, Findlay Galleries and the United Way office served as drop-off locations.
“We are honored to participate in the Town of Palm Beach United Way Toy Drive,” said Assistant Fire Rescue Chief Sean Baker, who’s also a trustee of the United Way. “It’s a heartwarming sight to see the fire station lobby full of toys. Service to others is what we’re all about, and it’s especially important for families in need during the holidays.”
Last year, The United Way collected more than $20,000 and at least 2,000 toys.*
Donors to the final week of the United Way Toy DriveLinda and Skip AldridgeJill ButlerElizabeth DebruleKathy DelaneyFerrari Club of Palm BeachSophie and Claire FrabottaVicki HalmosMelanie HarrisLarmoyeux FamilyVicki and Arthur LoringNicki McDonaldReid, Julie and Winston MooreEtsuko and John MorrisPalm Beach Fellowship of Christians & JewsPalm Beach Police and Fire FoundationMr. and Mrs. Harold PaullKristin Caron RayAnita SeltzerRudolph SheererNancy and Jeff SmithLinda SosnowitzSarah, Andrea and John StarkCarole and William StrawbridgeAnn and John SurovekPamela Stark ThomasMaritza VescoRichard WeberLisa Tano WilkinsonDavid and Kayla Willson
*Donors during previous weeks
Week 1
A.D. Saba EnterprisesMichael and Suzanne AinslieSue AndersonShirley AvakianStephen BarberaJill BlevinsAnne P. CarmichaelStanton CollemerCortland Portofino PlaceJulie F. and Peter D. Cummings Fund of The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin CountiesMr. and Mrs. Robert GallettaLee, Sue and Sam GordonHeather and Patrick HenryMr. and Mrs. Sam HuntJones FosterMr. and Mrs. David S. KirklandPaul MoskowitzHeidi and John NiblackMr. and Mrs. Sean R. O'BannonPalm Beach Flagler RotarySandra Palmer | ChristofleDr. Giselle Anna ParryThe Rothschild Family: Barbara, Richard, David and RobertDr. and Mrs. Richard SchorrJ. David and Anita SeayPamela SlotkinJim and Beth WaltonMr. and Mrs. Jerry V. WilkeyWorth Avenue Association
Week 2
Jacqueline AlbarranLaura AndrassyAnn ApplemanNeil and Vicki AronstamMr. and Mrs. Jay G. AxelrodMerrilyn BardesCarol Anne CaseyThe Church MouseGail ConiglioCarla CoveAngela De FinaPamela De FinaMoira and Davie DooleyVince and Mary Jo ElhilowCate FrerichsBetsy GoldbergJuliana Gendelman and Christopher Goldberg J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family FoundationMr. and Mrs. William IndoeCharlotte JordanPage Kjellstrom Elle and Ford Mashek Pete and Pam MettlerJoana MiguelLinda OlssonJoAnne and Bruce PolozkerSienna, Asher, Sara and Piper QuinnFrances ScaifeEleanor ShawSusan SlaterJoan SmithMK Ernst and Edmund SpivackMr. and Mrs. Leonard R. StevensClive Stuart-Findlay Susan O. TaylorPam and Dick WilliamsKelly M. WilliamsGail K. Worth
Week 3
Warren Belmar Richard Block and Dorothy Levy Joseph Borzillieri Joyce and Albert Burlando Barbie and Bill Claggett Dona and Howard Cohen Timothy Davidson and Jana Hesser Mrs. Michael Gelfand Bernis Gold-Rosenbloom Bertil and Joyce Kjellgren Martin, Diane and Michele Levbarg-Klein Palm Beach Flagler RotaryPat Novak Nan Ourisman Barbara Prine Joyce Reingold Ron Risner and Nancy Gofberg Ross Family Charitable FundLinda Siris Matthew and Tracy Smith The Stiller family Melissa Sullivan Betsy and Wally Turner Samuel and Sue Williams
Week 4
Ruth C. AbramsonMissy and Michael AgnelloLaurel BakerTerrie Ruttle and Thomas J. BaroneCarol and Harold BaxterWinston BaxterHenryka BellJudy and Howard BernickJames R. Borynack and Adolfo ZaraleguiThe Brekus FamilyAmbassador Nancy G. BrinkerDouglas Buck and Bobbie LindsayDenise BudnitzCaspian Delray BeachEtonella ChristliebJoel and Joyce CohenCade ColemanCarter ColemanKendall and Kim ColemanPeggy and Kip CondronJulie and Mike ConnorsWendy Bingham CoxLisa D. CushmanMargaret DeanRobert and Merrill DebbsTim and Gayle DevriesShannon DonnellyField of GreensHelen GuestFirst HorizonCathy and John FlaggRobert and Lydia ForbesSherry FrankelMary and Mark FreitasSandy and George Garfunkel Jennifer GarriguesMr. and Mrs. Robert GarrisonArlette GordonStacie and Garry HallinanShelley and William GubelmannMarley HerringMaggie and David HobbsBill HornEllen and Bob JaffeThomas S. and Ann JohnsonSusan and Walter KirkbridgeMr. and Mrs. Peter KleemanThe Hon. Richard M. KleidMelissa LaddKarla and George MannSara and Jim McCannClyde and Diane McNeal Jean and Wayne MeisenzahlBill and Tiffany MeyerMildred HoitHess MusalletCharlotte NevilleBob and Rita NowakPBB ConstructionPalm Beach Midtown Business GroupKate and Gary ParrAnne PetryAfsy and Carter PottashJuan PretelSusan PriemThomas C. QuickDoug and Colleen RogersDaren RubenfeldJeff and Gina SabeanSusan and Michael SelverianJean SharfJane SimonAndrea and John StarkDr. and Mrs. Robert A. StrasserJessica and Clay SurovekJohn Tatooles and Victor MooreNorma and Bill TiefelSuzanne TurnerDebra VasilopoulosSkira WatsonSusan and Bob Wright
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Donors guarantee merry Christmas with response to 29th toy drive
