Graffiti Community Ministries has been serving the Alphabet City community since 1970 by being "A Church That Serves" through meals, clothing, tutoring, and other services offered on an ongoing basis.

Graffiti Community Ministries’ annual Toy Store & Community Christmas Party is one of our favorite events of the year! Each year, we host this event to provide low-income families in our Lower East Side community with children’s Christmas gifts, meaningful social connection, and information about other Graffiti programs throughout the year. For many of our families, the Holidays are especially painful as parents struggle to simply provide for their children’s basic needs, let alone Christmas gifts.

This event is valuable to our team because we are able to meet families in this challenging season with Christ’s love and joy, and offer a chance to celebrate together in a safe, uplifting space. When families arrive at our building for this event, they are welcomed by friendly staff and volunteers who offer them warm drinks and snacks. After mingling with staff, volunteers and other clients, they are offered an opportunity to meet with a counselor. These conversations allow our team to refer clients to local services and resources in the community that can help meet their needs. Finally, counselors share the Gospel and pray with families, when appropriate. After meeting with a counselor, families go “shopping,” selecting toys from our “store” free of charge.

This year, in an effort to encourage fellowship among guests, we also plan to provide a simple, warm meal for families. Volunteers will help provide a warm and welcoming space, support with setup and cleaning, and help families shop for toys. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.