Giving Rye: Meet The Children’s Collective
Giving Rye is a new occasional feature highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Louise Sullivan of The Children’s Collective.
Your Name: Louise Sullivan
Organization: The Children’s Collective
Your role: We are pretty informal. Maybe Founder or Organizer?
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission.
Sullivan: To help children and their families in need in whatever way we can.
How long have you operated in Rye?
Sullivan: 34 years – since 1990
What programming or work in Rye is the organization best known for?
Sullivan:
- Coat Drive: We collect new and gently used coats for children and their parents. We sort them and deliver to shelters, transitional housing facilities, community centers & schools in the Bronx, NYC and Westchester County.
- Holiday Angels: Through the generosity of our members and the community, we collect and deliver holiday gifts to the children we serve who would otherwise go without.
- Book Drive: We collect children’s books from the community and distribute them to transitional housing facilities, schools and afterschool programs. We encourage the organizations to let each child keep a book of their choice. For many it’s the only book they own.
Looking forward to 2025, what will be your top initiatives?
Sullivan:
We will continue with our three annual initiates described above and hopefully increase the donations and number of children we serve.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Sullivan: The population we serve are families at or below the poverty level. Many of these families live less than 30 minutes away from Rye. They are struggling to survive and don’t have time or ability to get involved in our programming. We are grateful to the members of the Rye community that donate their time and efforts to make it possible to support these families in need.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Sullivan: We are a non-profit organization but do not have a 501 c 3. Finding someone to help us apply for our tax exempt status in 2025 is one of our goals.
Looking back across 2024, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Sullivan:
- We supplied warm winter coats to 750 of the children we serve.
- The Holiday Angels have just started but in 2023 we delivered 950 gifts straight from the donor to a child who would otherwise go without.
How can local residents support your organization?
Sullivan: Financially through donating coats, holiday gifts and books. Currently, local residents can be a Holiday Angel by purchasing a gift from this link or by dropping an unwrapped toy off at the Rye UPS Store 222 Purchase Street in Rye.
Also:
- Volunteer to sort and deliver. It only takes a few hours and you’ll feel so good.
- Help us apply for a 501c3
- Help us with social media and publicizing our drives
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Sullivan: Houlihan Lawrence’s dedication has been invaluable. For the last 10+ years they have organized the Holiday Angel gifts for a large shelter we serve in The Bronx. They handle everything from getting the list of children to delivering the toys. Resurrection and Christ Church have helped us collect coats and given us a sorting location for the last 34 years. Nichole Reiff , Katie Vernace and I are co-chairs.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Sullivan: 34 years since it was founded
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Sullivan: Everyone of our members are unpaid volunteers and work part time during the 3 drives.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Sullivan: I’m afraid to ask haha!
Where did you grow up?
Sullivan: Long Island
What would you do if you were not afraid?
Sullivan: Sky dive LOL
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
Sullivan: We have lived on a lovely dead end street near Playland for the last 31yrs.
Thanks Louise!
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