News & Events
Gifts Project Asks Supporters to Give Differently This Year
The Gifts for Special Children Project at New York City College of Technology is asking students, faculty, staff and other friends of the project to make a financial contribution this year rather than donating a toy or other holiday gift.
In part, this request stems from the fact that the demographics of younger people affected by the AIDS epidemic are changing rapidly in the New York area, as substantial numbers of those born with the disease live longer -- well into their teenage years and beyond -- thanks to advances in medical treatment. As these young people mature, their needs mature as well and take on characteristics more specific to their individual interests and goals.
In addition, increased experience with the disease and the opportunistic Infections that accompany it has taught healthcare providers many important lessons over the years. For example, the fabrics and bunting often used in the production of stuffed animals can trigger severe allergic reactions in infants and younger children with compromised immune systems. While there’s nothing more natural than giving a young child a teddy bear, that gift of love may make the child sicker.
“For these reasons and others,” says now-retired Hospitality Management Professor Francisco Betancourt, who created the Gifts project 18 years ago with the help of a small group of students, “many of the agencies long supported by the Gifts Project are asking for financial contributions rather than toys and other gift items. Financial contributions can be earmarked on site for the specific individual needs of the youngsters and teenagers cared for by these agencies.”
The collection of financial contributions to the Gifts Project is coordinated by the City Tech Foundation. Donors should make their checks payable to "NYCCT Foundation" and indicate "Gifts Project" in the note section. Financial contributions, which are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, should be mailed or delivered to the foundation office at New York City College of Technology, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 323, Brooklyn, NY 11201-1909.
City Tech students, faculty and staff who have already purchased a toy or other gift item for donation may drop it off by Thursday, December 9 at one of several on-campus collection sites being staffed by students and other volunteers. These sites are located in
- Scholarships Office, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall NG-09
- Alumni Relations/Communications, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 322
- City Tech Foundation, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 323
- Information Services Center, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 124
- Hospitality Management Office, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 200
- Dean’s Office/School of Technology & Design, 186 Jay Street, Voorhees Hall 806
- Entertainment Technology Office, 186 Jay Street, Voorhees Hall 411
- Business Office, 25 Chapel Street, Howard Building 11th Floor
- Athletics Office, 285 Jay Street, Klitgord Center 214
- Buildings & Grounds Office, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall NC-08
- Human Services Office, 300 Jay Street, Namm Hall 401
- Radiologic Technology Office, 300 Jay Street, Pearl Building 513
- Graphic Arts Office, 300 Jay Street, General Building 100
“Frank Betancourt may have retired last year,” says Jewel Escobar, executive director of the City Tech Foundation, “but we’re a long way off from retiring the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Younger people whose lives are impacted by AIDS are growing in numbers as new infections occur and those previously infected live longer. These young people need our help now more than ever.”
Founded in 1986, the Gifts for Special Children Project is one of the oldest and most successful expressions of City Tech’s longstanding commitment to community assistance. Over the years, the project has collected and distributed well in excess of 100,000 recreational and educational gifts to thousands of New York City youngsters living with AIDS. Few charitable efforts on the part of the College community have done so much for so many and have earned the level of community support the Gifts Project enjoys.
11/19/04
