Helping Children Heal
When a child escapes abuse within their home, they need support to weather the crisis, heal, and move forward. Things of My Very Own, Inc. is a lifeline for children fleeing abuse. From providing basic necessities to teaching life skills that instill confidence and self-worth, our services lift fragile children from a place of harm to one of hope.
Helping Children Heal
When a child escapes abuse within their home, they need support to weather the crisis, heal, and move forward. Things of My Very Own, Inc. is a lifeline for children fleeing abuse. From providing basic necessities to teaching life skills that instill confidence and self-worth, our services lift fragile children from a place of harm to one of hope.
Hear about the positive impact our efforts make.
Things of My Very Own, Inc. provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect.
Services are also available to children who are, solely due to the lack of items necessary for sustainability, at risk of a Child Protective Services intervention.
Our goal is to keep children together with non-abusive family members, and out of the foster care system, whenever possible.
Hear about the positive impact our efforts make.
Things of My Very Own, Inc. provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect.
Services are also available to children who are, solely due to the lack of items necessary for sustainability, at risk of a Child Protective Services intervention.
Our goal is to keep children together with non-abusive family members, and out of the foster care system, whenever possible.
Connect With Us
Join the conversation on Facebook, learn where help is needed, and be inspired by a growing community that cares.
Things of My Very Own
(opens in a new tab)A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization that helps children in crisis.
Meet Mary and Andy, two superstars from Saratoga Springs, New York. These two picked up Wish Tags from Cricket Wireless and went right to work! Mary and Andy understand that minutes matter when you are in crisis so they dropped off gifts for the children they sponsored two weeks early! If you are ready to change the lives of children in crisis for the better, you can pick up Wish Tags at:
Albany
🎁 Camp Bow Wow, 136 Railroad Ave
Clifton Park
🎁 Cricket Wireless, 15 Park Ave
Niskayuna
🎁 Niskayuna Town Hall, 1 Niskayuna Circle
Rotterdam
🎁 Cricket Wireless, 1400 Altamont Ave
Schenectady
🎁 Things of My Very Own’s Crisis Intervention Center, 249 Green Street, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 am to noon
Once you have your Wish Tag, shop for the items listed on it. Place them in a bag labeled with the child’s number, age, and gender, and drop it off at our Crisis Intervention Center during the hours above, by the due date on the Wish Tag.
Can’t make it to a host site? Email your name and the number of children you’d like to sponsor to [email protected] to receive virtual Wish Tags.
If you want to make an immediate impact, tap the link in the first comment on this post, and we’ll do the shopping for you at our cost.
We thank you in advance for your support of children in crisis. 💕
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Please donate now at thingsofmyveryown.org
Santa’s helpers 🎅🏼 🤶
Our 2026 Sponsor a Child in Crisis Program starts today, and Wish Tags are officially out.
Every Wish Tag lists the needs and wishes of a child in immediate crisis in our community.
You can pick up Wish Tags at:
Albany
🎁 Camp Bow Wow, 136 Railroad Ave (currently out of Wish Tags. Will be restocked later this afternoon)
Clifton Park
🎁 Cricket Wireless, 15 Park Ave
Niskayuna
🎁 Niskayuna Town Hall, 1 Niskayuna Circle
Rotterdam
🎁 Cricket Wireless, 1400 Altamont Ave
Schenectady
🎁 Things of My Very Own’s Crisis Intervention Center, 249 Green Street, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 am to noon
Once you have your Wish Tag, shop for the items listed on it. Place them in a bag labeled with the child’s number, age, and gender, and drop it off at our Crisis Intervention Center during the hours above, by the due date on the Wish Tag.
Can’t make it to a host site? Email your name and the number of children you’d like to sponsor to [email protected] to receive virtual Wish Tags.
“Want your gift to go further? Tap the link in the first comment on this post, and we’ll do the shopping for you at our cost.”
A huge thank you to our host sites for helping us get Wish Tags into the hands of our community. And thank you to everyone who picks up a Wish Tag this year. For a child starting over, it means more than you know.
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
Please donate today to help a child in crisis. thingsofmyveryown.org/donate/
Now can anything be given or mailed to your address for this little boy
can the items be wrapped or is that not allowed?
When will the first round be due back?
No carhartt this year?
Our Sponsor a Child in Crisis Program is set to launch this Friday! At that time, we will announce our Wish Tag Host Sites. This is your opportunity to make a positive, life-altering impact on the life of a child in our community. To prepare you in advance, here are our Sponsor a Child in Crisis FAQs:
What is the Sponsor a Child in Crisis Program?
🎁The Sponsor a Child in Crisis Program (AKA The Wish Tag Program) helps children who have endured recent traumatic events receive toys and other items needed for their transition to safety. It also helps children in crisis receive the items they need to survive (e.g., clothing, food, blankets).
Where can I pick up a Wish Tag?
🎁Wish Tag locations will be listed on our Facebook page this Friday, November 13th. If a business runs out of Wish Tags, we will update our most recent post to reflect that. When the business is replenished, we will update the post accordingly.
Where do I bring the items for the child I am sponsoring?
🎁Items must be brought back to the Things of My Very Own Crisis Intervention Center located at 249 Green Street in Schenectady. Drop-off hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
When are the items due back?
🎁Each Wish Tag has a due date written on it. We MUST receive the items on or before this date for the family to receive their gifts.
Do the items I provide have to be new?
🎁Yes, all items for our Sponsor a Child in Crisis Program must be new. Children are intelligent; they know that Santa's elves only make new items.
Do I wrap the items?
🎁Items must be inspected before distribution; for this reason, we require that the items come back unwrapped. You are welcome to provide wrapping paper or gift bags for the child(ren) you are sponsoring.
What is an Urgent Needs Wish Tag?
🎁These Wish Tags represent the needs of a child in crisis who has been referred to the organization. While every child hopes for toys and gifts during the holiday season, it has been determined that the needs of the child far outweigh the benefits that any toys could bring. By choosing an Urgent Needs Wish Tag, you are giving a child hope of remaining in the care of their non-abusive caregiver and out of the foster care system.
Can I still provide toys to a child listed on an Urgent Needs Wish Tag?
🎁Absolutely!
What is a Crisis Intervention Services Wish Tag?
🎁More children are referred to the organization around the holidays than at any other time of year. Most have to leave everything they know and love behind. These Wish Tags represent the needs of a child in crisis who has not yet been referred to the organization. It helps to ensure that those in immediate crisis still receive the help they need. When dropping off gifts for a Crisis Intervention Services Wish Tag, please write "CIS", the child's number, age and gender on the bag.
Can I provide a monetary donation instead of grabbing a Wish Tag?
🎁Absolutely. We have worked for over 18 years to negotiate contracts and pricing with retailers and manufacturers throughout the United States that allow us to purchase items for a fraction of retail prices. For this reason, monetary donations go much further than purchasing items in stores.
We thank you in advance for your support of children in crisis.
1 CommentComment on Facebook
I wanted to comment on the Urgent Needs tags. If you call TOMVO they will provide you with the wish tag items the child asked for so they still get toys or any other wishes.
