Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Brightens Up Holiday For Kids In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Christmas came early for hundreds of kids across Brooklyn and Queens Saturday.
As CBS2's Ilana Gold reported, they got a special delivery to brighten up the holiday season.
The volunteers in Far Rockaway had an important job ahead of them as they took stacks of the season's top-selling toys to give away to hundreds of excited children.
"It's a blessing. It's a true blessing," Felicia Sanchez, of Far Rockaway, said.
Sanchez's two children don't have much to play with anymore after Superstorm Sandy destroyed their home on Beach 43rd Street.
"I left everything after the storm; the house, the car. Two years later, trying to get life back together," she said.
So a tight budget means Christmas gifts won't come easy for her family.
"The kids, they want a lot. You can only work with what your pockets can afford," she said.
That's why the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association stepped in and collected thousands of toys to donate to families.
"It would be terrible on Christmas morning if someone woke up and didn't have a toy under their tree. That's sadness that will follow a child forever," PBA President Pat Lynch said.
The giveaway helps the community get back on its feet because its families don't have to spend money on gifts and can apply it elsewhere, Gold reported.
"Like bills. I can catch up on some past due bills that I owe," Sanchez said.
"Rebuilding Far Rockaway, specifically this end of the community, is a great task so any organization that can do something like this is a big help," Reverend Les Mullings, of Far Rockaway Church of Nazareth, said.
It also makes Christmas a little brighter for those who could use some extra holiday cheer.
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