Secret Snowflake is the Mayor’s Office’s annual winter gift-giving initiative which mobilizes private sector employees and other groups to answer wishes, or "letters", from youth in-need. Through this initiative, youth receive a variety of gifts, such as board games, cards, books, movies, toys, as well as crucial necessities, like clothing, shoes and coats for the winter. Secret Snowflake letters are written by or on the behalf of youth between the ages of 0 and 18 who receive social services from the City, including youth who are in the foster care system, shelter system, and temporary housing, as well as children being raised by kinship caregivers. Aside from answering letters, volunteers can support by providing an online in-kind donation (see below) or monetary donation to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC. Over the last 15 years, Secret Snowflake has helped answer tens of thousands of youths wishes. This past year alone, Secret Snowflake served nearly 14,000 children, the highest number in a single winter season in the program's history.
How to Support Secret Snowflake
1. Letter Matching: The traditional way to participate! Volunteers fulfill youth-written wish letters.
2. Online In-Kind Donation: A new way to participate, especially great for remote employees! Volunteers complete an online in-kind donation form where they select and pledge to donate items from an extensive wishlist.
3. Monetary Donation to the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC: A lower-lift, high-impact way to participate! Volunteers send a monetary donation to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC. Funds are used to purchase toys and crucial necessities for youth.
Press
Read the 2024 Press Release: NYC Service In-Kind Donation Program Reaches Nearly 14,000 Vulnerable Youth
Check out coverage from News 12: Secret Snowflake: City Organizations Take Part in Citywide Giving Initiative
For more information, contact Mel Anderson, Corporate Partnerships Coordinator, at secretsnowflake@cityhall.nyc.gov.
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