Bensonhurst celebrated a day of Christmas joy on Dec. 21 at the 19th annual Operation Christmas Smiles event, hosted by Reaching Out Community Services.
Santa arrived on a sunny winter day, waving to wide-eyed children and posing for pictures with families ready to enter RCS’ headquarters and start the holiday.
Operation Christmas Smiles endeavors to provide free gifts and joy to low-income southern Brooklyn families, most of whom are also part of the organization’s food pantry program.
Kids excitedly walked through the event, carefully choosing their perfect toy. Families were invited to enjoy a host of activities, including arcade games, face painting, a magic show, and refreshments.
“This spectacular Christmas party is designed to put a smile on every child’s face,” RCS shared on their website. “The goal of this event is to ensure every child in our community of low-income status will receive Christmas gifts this holiday season.”
All gifts were donated by the community, gathered at toy drives and by parents and students at P.S. 164 and by members of various local civic organizations.
After a challenging financial year, it was uncertain if Operation Christmas Smiles would be possible. Earlier this year, RCS, struggling to keep up with increased demand for its food assistant services and steeper operating costs, closed its original headquarters, and it was unclear if it would be able to reopen.
But RCS found a new location in November, on 18th Avenue, just in time to prepare for the upcoming holiday season.
“We just want to be thankful for making kids happy this time of year,” Reaching Out Community Services founder Thomas Neve said in a video posted to the organization’s YouTube channel.
