While Mother’s Day sets aside one special day to celebrate moms, we know how important moms are every day of the year. Here’s a little throwback to an amazing Valentine’s Day-themed ode to moms at our Allie’s Place Family Residence from February 2021.
The “Valentine’s Day Love & Gratitude Card Contest” gave children and youth ages 5 to 17 who reside at Allie’s Place an opportunity to spread some appreciation to their valentines—their moms—and show off their creative talents. The activity and celebration were a collaboration between Bronx Community Board 9, New York Assembly Member Kenneth Burgos, Toli Management, which operates 13 McDonald’s throughout the Bronx and Manhattan, and Allie’s Place Family Residence.
“We were impressed to see the creativeness of these young children and everyone is a winner today,” said Bronx Community Board 9 District Manager William Rivera.
Participants were greeted with an array of delicious snacks and various gifts to choose from. Many were excited to see their work on display and admired the cards decorated with stickers, glitter, original artwork, and warm messages. Since the contest was conducted virtually for everyone’s safety and well-being during COVID-19, many of the youth were seeing their friends’ designs for the first time when they were displayed during the socially distanced celebration. The contest was split into three groups: ages 5-9, 10-13 and 14-17, all of which had a winner and runner up. All children in the afterschool & recreation program received Happy Meals from Toli Management’s local McDonalds as well as prizes ranging from Valentine’s Candy bags provided by Assembly Member Burgos, and free admission to the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
All children in the afterschool & recreation program received Happy Meals from Toli Management’s local McDonalds as well as prizes ranging from Valentine’s Candy bags provided by Assembly Member Burgos, and free admission to the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
“Our goal is to create a community for families to build a network of support,” said Gretchen Hernandez, Deputy Executive Director of Homes for the Homeless. “Meaningful, ongoing collaborations with community partners who are invested in the success of the parents and children we serve help make that a reality. It has been especially heartening after a year of dealing with COVID-19 to witness the energy and buzz throughout the site of kids receiving their arts materials, sharing their beautifully crafted cards and messages, and signing up for the yummy holiday treats and Happy Meals. They were so excited to show off their designs.”
