Community Corner

Kids Helping Kids Get Holiday Gifts

Toys For Local Children serve about 1,000 children.

 

Toys For Local Children is a 27-year-old program that has established a tradition of kids helping kids.

Swampscott school kids — from all the district schools — chip in to make sure area kids who might not otherwise receive holiday gifts receive them.

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Retired foreign languages teacher Jean Cocuzzo, teacher Abby Rogers and counselor Cathy Kalpin spearhead the effort.

It was started in 1984 by teacher Allen Shapiro who wanted to make sure no local child went without a gift.

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Cathy said it is a unique service program in that every school in the district contributes to it.

students were contributing labor and thought in the Middle School basement right after Thanksgiving, getting the holiday program rolling.

Katie Zarinsky and dozens of fellow high school students selected gifts and wrapped them.

Some of the students also shopped for gifts.

Katie has taken part in the program for 6 years. She got involved because her sister volunteered for it.

She likes the holiday spirit the effort generates and seeing the smiles on the faces of children when they receive the gifts.

The children are excited to receive a small doll or a card game, she said.

Aidan Lang picked up a slip from the desk in the Middle School basement and saw he needed to select a gift for a 5-year-old boy.

He surveyed the boxes and stacks of toys and games.

A fire truck caught his eye and he boxed it, readying the gift for wrapping and knowing the 5-year-old will be excited to open it and see a red fire truck.

Many of the children that the program helps live in Lynn, and a sizable number also live in Swampscott.

Help goes out to around 1,000 kids.


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