Bronx Woman Collecting Gifts For Families At Shelter That Helped Her Beat Addiction
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Years after fighting addiction and homelessness, a Bronx woman is paying it forward to the agency that helped her out.
The act of kindness is also benefiting children around the holidays.
Bronx native Lynne Corry said it best herself. She went from living in New York City parks to working for them.
"Surrendering to addiction and alcoholism is tough. Doing it with your child is tougher," Corry said.
Twenty-two years ago, Corry struggled with addiction and homelessness. After giving birth to her son, Tyler, in a shelter called Samaritan Daytop Village, she knew something had to change.
Utilizing the facility's treatment and support, Corry said she was able to get back on her feet. Now, she's paying it forward by donating thousands of gifts to the children attending those programs.
"This is really a message of hope. There is life after addiction. There is life after treatment. You can get sober. You can have Christmas holidays with your children. We can do it, we can deliver it together," Corry said.
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For the first time this year, Corry is collecting gifts for several of the Samaritan Daytop Village's facilities, serving around 1,400 children.
"For them to receive a gift, it's not one of 100 gifts they're receiving or even 20. It may be the only gift that family is receiving and it just means so much," Samaritan Daytop's Mitchell Netburn said.
Corry said gifts are coming in from as far as California and as close as the Bronx community of Throggs Neck.
"Before I got sober, nobody wanted to talk to me, and now the gifts are just pouring in," Corry said. "I was always told when I got sober, when you do the right thing, the right thing happens."
Corry will be donating the gifts on Dec. 18, the day before her son's birthday. Then she will begin the next task, handwriting personalized thank you cards to everyone who helped.
Corry needs more toys and items for infants and teenagers. For more information on how you can donate, click here.