Neighbor to Neighbor collected nearly 1,000 new, unwrapped toys and gift cards for children from newborn to sixteen years, through very generous support from the Greenwich community including retailers such as Funky Monkey Toys & Books, Smart Kids and others in town, schools, nursery schools, medical offices, the Junior League of Greenwich, and many individual donors.
The annual event, called the “Holiday Toy Chest,” was open to clients of Neighbor to Neighbor, who signed up to receive toys for their children.
All of the toys were set up and displayed to replicate the look and feel of a toy store in the Tomes-Higgins House at 216 E. Putnam Avenue.
The toys were unwrapped so parents would select the toys most appropriate for their child.
Neighbor to Neighbor helps improve the lives of residents in need by creating access to nutritious food, clothing, and basic living essentials. In Greenwich, 20% of the community cannot afford basic necessities and 21 % of Greenwich Public
School children qualify for free or subsidized lunches. Last year, Neighbor distributed enough groceries to cook 390,000 meals and donated 500 turkeys at Thanksgiving.
Local businesses and non-profits partner with the organization to sponsor drives for food, winter coats, diapers, new toys at the holidays, gently used prom dresses, and nearly 500 backpacks filled with school supplies.