Last year, RAND Gives Back granted 120 wishes last year for 120 students at P256Q in Far Rockaway as part of our Winter Wishes initiative.
For the last couple of years, RAND has had the privilege of working with the staff of P256Q at PS43, an elementary and middle school consisting of school children from Kindergarten through the 8th grade, in Far Rockaway, Queens, to help make their students' holiday wishes come true. As part of our RAND Gives Back program of charitable giving, our Winter Wishes initiative is one of our most beloved holiday gift-giving programs.
Similar to a holiday gift drive, the students of P256Q send a letter to their Secret Santa with their Winter Wish, which is vetted by the school's staff. Our RAND Gives Back volunteers read the letters, and like Santa's elves, work to fulfill their requests to help make their holiday season a little brighter, by shopping, and then wrapping the gifts. In our first two years we fulfilled 240 wishes, and this year we will be fulfilling 111.
This year, one of the requests reads: "My winter wish is for an Amazon gift card. I would like to get an Amazon gift card because it could help my mom. If I received my winter wish, I would be so happy." For many of these children, these are the only gifts they will receive during the holiday season, and yet many of them ask for gifts for their mothers or siblings, which is incredibly touching.
The day they hand out the gifts is amazing. The staff holds a big party in a room decorated for the holidays and filled with their gifts. The expressions on the students' faces when they are handed their individual presents, and when they open them and see their special gift is indescribable. Each gift is capped at $40, so these are not outrageous gifts, but the children are so happy and grateful. And to see the love the teachers have for their students is beautiful. There aren't many dry eyes in the room on that day.
We're looking forward to Winter Wishes Day this year. For more information on our Winter Wishes program, contact info@nullrandpc.com, and to learn more about what you can do to help someone in need this holiday season, check out givingtuesday.org.
Joanna Kuther is RAND's Operation Manager.
