Darlyn, 6, scanned the tables full of toys, walking past stacks of monopoly board games, Hot Wheels trucks, Barbie dolls, and coloring books. Meanwhile other kids — including her two cousins — stopped to analyze every toy in sight. Finally, after much careful consideration, Darlyn was drawn to the brightest toy in the room: an orange, squishy dragon toy with shaggy plastic hair. Once in her hands, she clutched it against her chest as she waited for her cousins to choose their toys.
“She told me that she was looking for one toy […] and this [dragon] looked similar. So as soon as she saw it, she went for it,” her aunt, Reina, told Documented in Spanish. “We came [today] because of our children. We like to see them smiling and receiving a toy,” the 26-year-old said.
Reina was one of the more than a hundred neighbors in Corona, Queens, who joined the “Magical Christmas” toy distribution event on Saturday. Organized by Community Center Services Organization (CCSO), it was one of multiple distributions that took place in Corona over the course of the weekend, providing toys to children while also offering food resources for families that have been impacted by the rising costs of groceries and job scarcity. Numerous parents who attended told Documented they were thankful for events like these that help them provide Christmas presents and a little bit of joy for their children — while also helping put food on their tables.
Reina and her husband, Walter, 28, said that Magical Christmas toy distribution helps alleviate the cost of purchasing presents during the holiday season. “As you can see we have three [children] and we have to buy toys for everyone,” said Reina, who migrated to the U.S. from Guatemala ten years ago. Both parents requested that Documented use only their first names.
“It’s an experience that only happens once a year. When they receive a toy they feel really happy and they have fun,” she said., adding that her four-year-old daughter chose an Elsa doll from Frozen and her seven-year-old son a Thomas and Friends playset.
Like Reina’s children, at least 1,600 other children will receive toys from this and other holiday distributions hosted by CCSO, explained Evelyn Heilbron, the founder of the food pantry. “Today, we are giving out in three locations and toys are given out all week until January 6th,” she said.
Heilbron, who founded CCSO in 2019 to help feed neighbors in Corona impacted by the pandemic, said that this year marks the third year hosting the toy distribution. The event, along with all operations at CCSO, is run by approximately 250 volunteers, many of whom are local residents who also rely on the services and resources the food pantry has to offer. Broadway Stages is the official sponsor of the toy distribution event and the space CCSO uses to run operations.
The toys provide an added layer of support for families in the area, alongside clothes, groceries and warm meals, as many grapple with rising prices, Heilbron said. Documented counted at least 30 families who waited in line as early as two hours, 11 a.m., before the distribution started at 1 p.m.
“The lines to our food pantry have increased. We used to serve 200 families and now we are serving 500 families — more than double,” Heilbron said. “In reality, the lines should be getting shorter because that is the line of people who are facing food insecurity.”
Heilbron attributes the increase in demand for food and other goods to the lack of employment opportunities. The rise in immigration enforcement has impacted the local community in Corona as well, where 56% identify as Hispanic, and 30% identify as Asian.
“There are […] many separated families. It is another situation that worries us because there are many children at risk without their parents, and, of course, who were left alone,” she explained, adding that members have told her they are even afraid of visiting local hospitals due to fear of deportation.
Jessica Ramos, State Senator representing District-13, which covers neighborhoods in Queens, including Corona, said that many of her constituents have also expressed fear about attending events in public spaces due to reported ICE presence in the area. “Our local economy — since the vast majority of our small businesses are owned by immigrants — has been losing money because fewer people are going out to spend money,” she said. Ramos added that increased ICE presence has also impacted schools in the area. “We have already seen children who have self-deported with their families. And that is at schools,” she emphasized. “We are very afraid.”
Ramos’ office has participated at two toy and resource distributions in the area, including Magical Christmas at CCSO, and said they will continue attending other events in the upcoming days.
Beyond the fear of ICE enforcement, Ramos explained that the Trump administration’s budget cuts have deterred people from applying for food stamps, healthcare enrollment and many other services. “Many people think they are not eligible [for those services] but they are. We take great care to do community outreach in the languages spoken by the community,” she said, adding that the immigrant communities in Queens are also still reeling from the impact of the pandemic.
Birmania Almánzar, who came to the event with her two daughters, said that she has been receiving assistance from CCSO for more than three years. “My friend recommended that I should come here. She said that they help a lot,” Almánzar said, adding that she was expecting her second daughter the first time she ever visited the center. She has been living in Queens since migrating from the Dominican Republic 11 years ago.
“I like it here, they treat me really well. I am super grateful to Evelyn, she really cares for us a lot.”
As she watched her daughter playing with her new toy, Almánzar said she felt extremely grateful. “She really loves the Barbie dolls. That is why I chose it for her,” she said, smiling.
The sense of gratitude was felt by other parents and children who spoke with Documented. “It feels really nice,” said Reina. “As you know, there are families who can buy toys for their children but other [families] who cannot.”
