More than 300 holiday wishes have been fulfilled thanks to the caring generosity of Hamagrael students and families. During the annual Kids Helping Kids “Adopt-a-Snowflake” project, hundreds of gifts were purchased for children in the Capital Region served by Unity House and its Children’s Holiday Program.
The “snowflakes” are individual suggestions or requests for specific toys or gifts. The snowflakes are posted to a school bulletin board before the Thanksgiving Break. Students and families can choose to fulfill one or more of the requests by picking a snowflake from the board. The Kids Helping Kids Committee at Hamagrael is supported by the school’s PTA.
“It was an incredible response from our school community,” said Kids Helping Kids PTA representative Kalin Scott, who noted that the school typically sees about 200 donations. “Unity House is always thrilled with Hamagrael’s response. They have seen an increase in demand from the community, so it’s really wonderful to see as the need grows, our school has stepped up and helped to support that growing demand.”
The Adopt-a-Snowflake effort is a Hamagrael tradition dating back more than a dozen years.
Unity House’s Children’s Holiday Program expects to serve nearly 1,600 children (ages birth-17) this year. Donations are primarily used to stock a no-cost store to benefit children and families served by programs at Unity House. Parents and guardians can ‘shop’ for gifts, toys and necessities (like bedding, diapers, boots, and coats). All children receive pajamas, and each family can also select one game, puzzle, or book. The family also receives one roll of wrapping paper and a roll of tape.
Learn more about Unity House and the 2025 Children’s Holiday Program.