The Emily Meyer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization created to support Emily’s Awesome Toy Drive and provide assistance to those in our community and surrounding areas.
In 2009, on Christmas night, Emily became ill and was rushed to a local hospital. The next morning, she received a bag full of toys from the Child Life Department. Their philosophy was, and still is, that no child should be sick during the holidays, but if they are, they should still feel the joy of the holiday season.
The very next year, Emily wanted to give back by collecting 20 new toys with her grandfather and delivering them to the very hospital she was in, just the year before. The rest is history!
In its 13th year, Emily’s Awesome Toy Drive continues to provide toys, games and activities to critically/chronically ill children and those with special needs as well as support local families in times of emergency!
Over the life of her toy drive, Emily has donated over 20,000 toys to the following hospitals and children’s organizations:
Good Samaritan Hospital
Stony Brook University Hospital
Cohen Children’s Medical Center
NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island
Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital
Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital
The Ronald McDonald House
Make-A-Wish
The John Theissen Foundation
Angela’s House
Birthday Wishes
While her endeavor started out as a holiday drive, Emily is proudly donating toys, books, puzzles, stuffed animals and games ALL YEAR ROUND!
During hospitalization, play is proven to be of high therapeutic value for ill children, thus contributing to both their physical and emotional well-being and to their recovery.
The use and availability of toys in a hospital setting is so important as they are commonly used for:
• personal enjoyment
• to combat boredom
• to encourage normalization
• to facilitate expression
• to help cope with and combat fears
• to achieve healthcare goals
