Kalvin Kauzbot may be a small robot made of cotton, but last month at the International Toy Fair in New York City, this toy proved that it had a heart of gold.
Kauzbots, a toy-making company formed in 2008, joined international supermodel Emme at the Manhattan Javits Center in February to raise funds for a nonprofit organization called Hearts of Gold, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of New York City’s homeless mothers and their children.
One of the direct recipients of these funds is Semiperm, a transitional housing residence located on 102nd Street between Amsterdam and Broadway. Semiperm was formed in April 2008 as an adopted program of Hearts of Gold.
“We call it transformational housing, but it is really supportive housing,” Tricia Blanchard, Community Program Coordinator of Semiperm, said.
Semiperm serves 23 families at a time, many of which come directly from homeless shelters. “We work with families to create plans with goals, and we help them manage their goals. At the same time, they learn to empower themselves and get their lives back on track,” Blanchard said.
Deborah Koenigsberger, founder of Hearts of Gold, said that her objective with the program at large is to “break the cycle, one mom at a time, giving them a better chance at life.”
Koenigsberger added, “We are here to work hands-on and turn their problems around, whether it is a crisis of domestic violence, children who need new clothing, or a mother who needs money for transportation for her first week at a job.”
Blanchard said that, along with the long-term goal of finding permanent housing and employment, Koenigsberger makes a personal effort to make the families of Semiperm feel special by “throwing birthday parties, providing presents on all the holidays” and “taking the mothers out to a spa.”
Hearts of Gold attracted the attention of David Trotter, co-founder of Kauzbots, when he was looking to fund a New York City program for the homeless.
“We want to create awareness of important causes in the world, while also raising awareness of nonprofits which we will financially support,” Trotter said.
Kauzbots already has eight different “robots with a heart” on the market, each standing for a different cause and providing 10-percent benefits for specific nonprofit organizations.
“It has been unbelievable. Kids that we cater to absolutely love it,” Trotter said, adding that his robots “create a mini-activist out of a child.”
Kauzbot’s fundraising for Hearts of Gold was supported by Emme, whom Koenigsberger met at an awards ceremony—a meeting which Koenigsberger described as “love at first talk.”
Despite their excitement over last month’s event, these nonprofit supporters expressed frustration with the current economy.
“Some of our residents have been laid off,” Blanchard said, adding that Semiperm, now more than ever, is highly encouraging education for its mothers. “There are not jobs out there for people who only have a high school diploma,” she said.
“The economy is hitting guys at the bottom,” Koenigsberger said. “People don’t realize that there is a population that literally has nothing. Now they don’t have the basics to survive."
Regardless of tough times, both agreed that the satisfaction of their jobs makes it all worthwhile. “In this work, I find that I reach out a hand, and soon there are twenty people holding,” Koenigsberger said.
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