Using the Power of the Internets for Good

9/8/08 - By Anna Fader
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My daughter poses with some of the children eagerly waiting to receive their supplies.

Sometimes you hear about the power of the internet; usually referring to how online mobs can pressure corporations into changing their policies. But here on Mommy Poppins we wielded the power of the internet in our own small way. Through the community of Mommy Poppins readers, friends of Mommy Poppins readers and Mommy Poppins' friends' readers, we were able to fulfill the Back to School dreams (and needs) of the dozens of homeless children temporarily housed at Seneca Houses in the Bronx.

It amazes me at what we were able to accomplish in a short period of time. From the moment I received the first email asking for help, to arriving at Seneca Houses with my car full of school supplies, was less than two weeks. That baffles my mind. Donations came not only from New York, but also from Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. In total we raised well over $1000 in pencils, pens, folders, crayons, markers, composition notebooks, back packs, school glue, construction paper, pencil cases, binders, pink erasers, rulers and flash cards.

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We delivered a carload of supplies to add to what had arrived by mail. My kids and I worked with Jennie to distribute the supplies to all the parents and children who had been waiting excitedly to receive them. I wish that we could have given more. There were so many families and what seemed like a huge amount of stuff grew scarce as it was divided up. But I know that supplies have continued to arrive and I hope that the children are getting what they need.

I want to express a HUGE thank you on behalf of myself, the administrators at Seneca Houses and the children, to everyone who helped make this happen. Thank you to the many people who purchased supplies. I'd also like to thank my fellow bloggers who helped spread the word and brought in many more donations:

Kelsey from Mama Bird Diaries

MK at McBrooklyn

Gabrielle who put us as an editor pick, using the awesome power of chicks who click at Kirtsy.

Thanks to Debbie from DeliciousBaby and Stefania from City Mama for tweeting about it.

I'd also like to thank Carrie from SoHo Journal for her generous offer of 84 backpacks.

About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.