Two of the children attending the party tell Santa their wish list.

The party was made possible through the dedication of staff in the Office of Advocacy and from several ACS divisions who worked with neighborhood organizations and individuals to secure donations of gifts and food for the over 100 families who attended.  Contributors included The Next Wave Committee of DC 37/Local 375 which donated gift cards for the teens; Devil Dog USA, Inc., a veterans’ organization which provided gifts; children’s books donated by Brownstone Book Fund; Key Food Fulton Market, Texas Barbeque, Silver Spoon Restaurant and Lot Less Stores, which donated food and drinks.   Donations also came from area residents including the concierge service at the Frank Gehry Building, which organized a very successful toy drive among the building’s tenants. 

The Office of Advocacy responds to concerns of parents, youth, foster parents and the general public about child welfare cases. Working with all divisions within the agency, the Office supports the safety, permanence and the well-being of all children and families involved with the child welfare system. The Office works to provide impartial resolutions to conflicts between clients and voluntary agencies or ACS offices and provide information to the public about child welfare policies and procedures in an effort to ensure that parents, foster parents and youth are aware of their rights and responsibilities and obtain their due process. The Office of Advocacy is headed by Mike Arsham, Executive Director.

ACS OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
Contact: pressoffice@acs.nyc.gov, (212) 341-0999