Brooklyn's Progress
January 2004

Story by Khadija Batuta

A much-anticipated holiday tradition has developed over the past seven years at CitiStorage—the staff conducts an annual toy drive in support of the League Treatment Center, the nation’s oldest day school for autistic youngsters, located in DUMBO. 

Every morning for one week (Dec. 15-19), the children of the center are greeted in their classrooms by elves, CitiStorage staff volunteers, that deliver brightly wrapped and personalized gifts to each student.  The staff volunteers visit with each class and assist the children in opening and assembling their presents.  For CitiStorage proprietors Norman and Elaine Brodsky this is also a family affair.  Ms. Brodsky and her daughter, Beth, visiting from George Washington University, enthusiastically took part in the festivities.

“This brings such joy to everyone involved.  The children love it, and we feel so honored that CitiStorage has chosen our kids to adopt each year,” beamed Hannah Achtenberg Kinn, Executive Director of the League, which has been in operation since 1953, and continues to be a leader in providing comprehensive services to developmentally disabled children and adults.

As an alternative to the traditional company holiday party, CitiStorage began the toy drive in 1997.  With a desire to positively impact the Brooklyn community and through networking at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, CitiStorage developed its plan.  For the past four years the effort has been lovingly coordinated by Norlene Gumbs, data entry supervisor at CitiStorage, who begins the two-month process working with League Director Stacey Chizzik. 

First, Ms. Chizzik develops the gift list in which each child is matched with an age-appropriate toy to support his or her specific developmental needs.  Next, with assistance from other staff volunteers, Ms. Gumbs shops for and purchases the selected gifts—conducted entirely over the Internet this year—and finally recruits a number of her colleagues to join her as one of six “elves” to deliver the gifts over the five days of the drive.  140 gifts in all were distributed this year.  The CitiStorage staff close out the week at their office with a fun—and economical—pizza party. 

“The end of this week each year is always bittersweet for us.  This is such a heartwarming experience, and we look forward to it every year,” stated Ms. Brodsky.

CitiStorage, a long-time Chamber Member, is a 14-year old full service commercial record storage center headquartered in a 10-million cubic foot state-of-the-art facility in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  They can be reached by phone at 718-782-1100, or via the Internet at http://www.citistorage.com/.