Last week, two incoming classes of kindergarteners at Mott Haven Academy Charter School, in the Bronx, N.Y., received 50 duffel bags filled with toys and toiletries, courtesy of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and strategic partner My Stuff Bags Foundation.
The “My Stuff” bags—which contained school supplies, a stuffed animal and blanket, arts and crafts, and toiletries—were handed out to the children who are among the 300,000 kids that enter foster care across the U.S. each year.
Along with school officials, the media, and representatives from TIF, New York City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito and Assembly Member Carmen E. Arroyo were on hand to watch the excited kids open their bags.
Haven Academy, now in its fourth year, is the only public charter school in the nation for at-risk children. Sponsored by The New York Foundling, the school aims to empower kids by integrating family support services into a rigorous academic program so children can reach their full potential.
