One of the largest -- if not the largest -- provider of toys and gifts to the Centers for Youth & Families is a Little Rock tattoo parlor.
Empire Tattoo and its manager, John Rhe'aume, host Toys for Tats, a Nov. 1-Dec. 18 fundraiser to collect toys for the children at the Centers.
Toys for Tats is in its fifth year. Customers who bring in a toy worth at least $20 with a receipt receive 50% off the cost of a tattoo. The response has been overwhelming, Rhe'aume says of the hundreds of donated toys.
"Every year, it's a surprise. It surprises us that so many people are willing to give. Some just drop off a toy -- they don't even want a tattoo," Rhe'aume says. "When you take those toys over there, you know you are doing something right."
Melissa Hendricks, foundation director for the Centers, says Empire Ink probably donates the most toys each holiday season. She adds that Maverick Transportation also "adopts" children and provides gifts.
"Many of the kids in our care come to Centers for Youth & Families with very little other than the clothes on their backs," Hendricks says.
The Centers is home to 80 boys and girls in Little Rock every day and close to 250 boys and girls every year.
"Empire Ink has collected more than 30 huge trash bags of new toys for the Centers in the past. It is amazing," Hendricks says. "Because of Empire Ink, boys and girls celebrate Christmas and birthdays. We can give them toys and stuffed animals when they come to the Centers, or for prizes or fun games and activities. Without their help, boys and girls who live with us in psychiatric residential care would have few toys, games or stuffed animals. Empire Ink makes it possible at Christmas and all year long."
The Centers provides an age-appropriate, comprehensive continuum of care for the emotional wellness of all ages.
"Every child at the Centers is working to heal from traumatic experiences of abuse, neglect or abandonment. They are survivors who need a little extra help to create pathways for future success. Many of these children had few to no toys at home and may not have celebrated holidays or received Christmas gifts," Hendricks says.
"Their faces light up when they see that someone they don't even know cares enough about them to provide them with a toy, game or stuffed animal and that it is a gift to them," she adds.
Founded in 1884, the organization offers programs that address typical family issues and concerns that today's families encounter along with serving specific areas such as socially and emotionally challenged and at-risk youths, children with learning differences, runaway and homeless youths, expecting and new parents, pregnant and parenting teens, Hispanic young parents, foster families and victims of human trafficking.
Miguel Caballero has been a tattoo artist at the salon for about 3 1/2 years.
"There's a lot of kids out there who have never had toys -- period. When we donate all of those toys, it makes me feel good, it makes me feel like I accomplished something, it makes me feel like I did something for the community," Caballero says. "It makes me feel really, really good about myself."
Caballero says all of his clients bring gifts -- which means he loses money each year.
"It's not really about the money. It's about donating the toys," he says. "I don't really care about the money. To me, it's the payoff of seeing those kids happy."
Caballero remembers being particularly moved by a thank-you letter from a child who received a stuffed animal.
"The stuffed animal made that kid feel like he wasn't alone -- like someone was looking after him," Caballero says. "That one touched me the most because he felt like someone was out there looking out for him."
Dani Neske, a tattoo artist and assistant office manager at the salon, had done about 70 tattoos for toys by mid-December.
"We all have kids," says Neske, the mother of two toddlers. "It's the time of year that we would hate to think about any family going through some hard times, and we've all been blessed. It's just something that we kind of feel special and happy to do for the families."
Neske also talks about the thank-you notes from the kids.
"They kind of give us too much credit," Neske says. "They say we made their day when really they made our day."
Empire Ink is located at 1400 S. University Ave., less than a mile from the Centers' main campus at 6501 W. 12th St.
"They are right around the corner. They are in our neighborhood, so it's kind of us giving back to our community, as well," Neske says.
Rameco Harris walked into Empire Ink with a remote-control Ford truck. He says it's not his first time to donate gifts for Toys for Tats.
"I know some kids will be getting toys for Christmas, so this is a good program, and it's a win-win for everybody," Harris says.
More information on the Centers for Youth & Families is available at cfyf.org.
Empire Ink tattoo artist Miguel Caballero works on a client who donated a gift to Toys for Tats, a fundraiser for the Centers for Youth & Families. Caballero says 100 percent of his customers donated toys.
High Profile on 12/22/2019
"toys" - Google News
December 22, 2019 at 03:46PM
https://ift.tt/2EGKKms
Tattoo shop collects toys for kids with past trauma - NWAOnline
"toys" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2s1ziPo
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment