Toys for Children At Yale-New Haven Hospital
To watch the Toy Closet Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital work is magical.
I founded this program in 1993 and it is flourishing today because of countless volunteers from the Hospital Auxiliary and others who continue to nurture it every day at the hospital to make sure sick children are taken care of.
Recently I visited to see Jorge, now nearly 3 years old, select a toy with his Mom, Ingrid. He has been battling cancer for most of his young life. This scene goes on all day everyday at the hospital, there are many of these closets around the hospital that are accessed.
Jorge has leukemia and knows this closet well, as each time he comes to the hospital he gets to make a visit and select a new toy to help him and his Mom pass the time while he is being treated. Recently Jorge’s cancer, which had been in remission, returned, and he will be in need of a transplant, alarming news to any parent.
The Toy Closet Program represents help for children and parents going thru countless traumas. It’s a bright spot in a child’s life. The program has grown so vast ,that we are in constant need of new toys or monetary donations. Once upon a time we existed just in the hospital, now we are in the Smilow Cancer Center, Yale-New-Haven’s auxiliary facility in Guilford, Connecticut and we are involved in 16 outreach programs not to mention all the holiday parties.
This is year round help for children, and we need your to help it continue to thrive. If you have a toy drive for a birthday or a bar mitzvah, etc. we will come pick up the toys. We also have a lot of printed materials should you want to put them up in a bank or business for a drive.
You just never know when an illness will affect a child in your family and we want to be there for everyone when they need us.
Contact us
Mail correspondence, monetary donations and gifts to:
Toy Closets Program
Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary
20 York St.
New Haven, CT 06510-3202
Delivery of donated new, unwrapped toys are accepted by calling the Auxiliary office. Larger donations are now received at an alternate location.
For more information, call us at:
(203) 688-5717
or send E-mail to auxiliary@ynhh.org
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Ann Nyberg
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Dear Ann, I can never thank you enough for starting this program at Yale Children’s. My son has had several surgical procedures and a few hospital stays at Yale and going to the Toy Closet after would bring him such joy after going through a rough time. He calls it “the light at the end of the tunnel”. My son Matthew, who has several medical issues himself, will be turning 8 this May and he has decided(on his own) “That he wanted to help others sick kids this year instead of getting presents just for himself, because being sick sucks!”(his exact words) So we have decided to collect Toys for the Toy Closet at Yale. As Matt says, the toys have helped him feel a little better hopefully a toy he brings in while help another child! Thank you again for all that you have done to bring some happiness to children like my son. You are an amazing person.
Kelly Ryan
Kelly, thank you so much for your comment. Your Son Matt is who all of us should take a lesson from, that’s a remarkable child. Your story is wonderful, thank you.