Homeless Children Seek Holiday Donations & Volunteers to Play

Stoughton, MA (November 1st, 2018) - Horizons for Homeless Children is seeking new toy donations and volunteers this holiday season to support their Playspace Program, which serves over 1,375 children each week in local homeless shelters.

Each Playspace is supported by trained volunteers, called Playspace Activity Leaders (PALs), who play with homeless children who reside in 20 shelters in Southeastern MA and Cape Cod. Horizons will be hosting a PAL training on Saturday, December 8th, 10a-1p in Middleboro. Individuals who are interested in signing up can do so online.

Each Playspace has two-hour volunteer shifts that occur throughout the week. For children living in a shelter, Playspace visits with PALs may be the only opportunity to listen to stories being read, create an artistic masterpiece, dress up as a superhero, play a musical instrument, and just have fun. New toy donations support their efforts to make homeless shelters more child-friendly. You can donate via their Amazon Wish list at http://horizonschildren.org/our-wish-list/. To find out more about drop-off locations, ways to donate and our program call 508.510.3250 or email southeast@horizonschildren.org

“Our Playspace Program helps make sure that children can experience the joys of childhood, no matter where they live,” said Kate Barrand, President & CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. “Critical developmental milestones happen at such a young age, and volunteers like those on Cape Cod help ensure children living in shelters are given the opportunity to learn, play, and thrive. They are an incredible corps of people that help make this program possible for us and our shelter partners.”

Horizons for Homeless Children created the Playspace Program with the belief that play is essential to healthy childhood development, and every child has the right to play. To make healthy play possible for children living in shelters in Massachusetts, regional staff build and maintain developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed, “kid-friendly” spaces and stock them with books, toys, games, and arts materials. Horizons’ Playspaces serve infants and young children who are living in homeless shelters. PALs lead play activities in the Playspaces to help each child heal from the trauma of homelessness and gain the cognitive, physical, and social/emotional skills essential to future social and academic success.

To learn more about the Horizons’ Playspace Program, or to sign up for either of this or other trainings, please visit www.horizonschildren.org/playspace or contact Meghan Schafer, Playspace Program Director, Southeast Region, at mschafer@horizonschildren.org.

About Horizons for Homeless Children

Horizons for Homeless Children is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young homeless children and their families. Horizons provides high quality early education, comprehensive family support services, opportunities for play, and statewide advocacy work. Today, Horizons serves more than 1,600 young homeless children each week in Massachusetts through three early education centers and more than 90 shelter-based Playspaces. For more information about Horizons for Homeless Children, please visit: www.horizonschildren.org.