Give, Gather, & Get for Thanksgiving!
/Hi everyone!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it's a great time of year to think about giving to the needy, gathering together, and getting gifts. Luckily at BGC, we've got you covered on those fronts. Read on for more:
THANKFUL GIVING
There are a lot of places to donate this time of year, but I get nervous that the stuff I'm giving won't end up going to help someone in need. We've all heard the rumors that Goodwill is basically a for-profit and the Salvation Army is hateful towards the LBGTQ community, so where can we give gently used toys and coats and feel nothing but happy to help?
A local church in Mount Vernon is collecting used and new coats and toys to distribute to local families in need this season. The deadline for the coat drive is December 16 and the toy drive is December 24, so you have some time to go through the closet and playrooms. Here's what they are taking:
- Coats from infant to adult (in good shape, obvs)
- Hats, Mittens, Gloves, Scarves
- Toys in good shape, INCLUDING stuffed animals
Being able to donate stuffed animals is particularly amazing because a lot of bigger charities don't accept them. When we went through our almost 3-year-old's collection, we were able to easily pull out close to 20 she had no idea were even hers and was happy to give to another child. Many still had their tags on. I got her all ramped up to go through them and pick which ones Santa should give a needy child, so she was very excited about donating.
If you'd like to donate, you can drop off items to the Balanced Life Christian Center at 160 South 4th Avenue, Second Floor in Mount Vernon. Their hours vary, so contact Sheila Gifford at shella.phanord27@gmail.com or call/text her at 914-863-4456 to coordinate a dropoff. If you can't get there yourself, reach out to us at info@babygotchat.com and we might be able to help your items get to the church.
THANKFUL GATHERING
Family is great this time of year, but there's nothing like getting together with other moms to relax and commiserate about the pressure of the holidays. BabyGotChat is collaborating on a few fun meetups. Pencil one in on your calendar!
Monday, November 20, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Pre-Thanksgiving Mommy & Me Play Date at Lil Chameleon
29 Elm Street, Tuckahoe
$5 cash only at the door (goes to Lil Chameleon for exclusive use of space and special Play Date-only toys.)
BYO baby or child and come take a break on the couch while the kids explore the baskets of toys for free play at Lil Chameleon. The cafe and resale boutique are pretty tempting too!
Tuesday, November 21, 8:00pm
Mom Drinks Night at Mickey Spillane's
431 White Plains Road, Eastchester
Cash bar
Leave the kids and hubby at home and come meet us for Mom drinks! This always-popular event we host in collaboration with the Bronxville Moms Meetup Group is great whether you come alone or bring your whole entourage. You've never seen a happier group of women than moms who are off-dufy. Come join us!
Monday, November 27, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Post-Thanksgiving Mommy & Me Play Date at Lil Chameleon
29 Elm Street, Tuckahoe
$5 cash only at the door
We're back at the same spot to unwind after a marathon weekend of shopping, stuffing, and surviving Thanksgiving. Put off cleaning the house for one more day and have your play date with us!
THANKFUL GETTING
We're collecting local mom-run businesses for our Black Friday & Small Business Saturday guide. Do you have a small business? Or even an online shop? Write to us at info@babygotchat with with a description of your business, links to your website, and photos of you or your merchandise. Let's shop local this year! Walmart's CEO's bonus is already big enough.
Want something for free? BabyGotChat teamed up with MAM to give away a gift package worth $50! Watch the video below to see if you won.
That's it, everyone! Have a great Thanksgiving and I hope to see you on Monday or Tuesday at one of our meetups.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And as always, check our website for events and weekly library programs. We've just made a whole easy-to-navigate chart so you know exactly where to go for free educational fun that doesn't overlap with naptime!
See you next time!
Andrea
