Woman buys entire store to donate toys to homeless children for holidays

NEW YORK, NY — A New York City philanthropist has taken generosity to a whole new level just in time for the holidays.

Every year, Carol Suchman donates toys to some of New York City's poorest children.

Suchman told NY1 that she was walking past the shuttered Hudson Party Store in the city's West Village and saw it was for rent.

Inside, tons of toys, stuffed animals and school supplies.

That's when Suchman said she approached the store's owner to buy everything inside.

"When I saw this toy store, I just realized I could do it on a grander scale," Suchman said. "We talked and negotiated and bought the entire toy store."

Suchman said she bagged it all up and donated it to the city's Department of Homeless Services — just in time for the holidays.

"I've been doing this for many years and we have many generous sponsors — people do toy drives and do a lot of giving — but I have to say, that this is the first time anybody ever bought out an entire store and donated to the children of shelters," said DHS director of special events Antonio Rodriquez.

Suchman told NY1 that she usually donates hundreds of toys each year to give as birthday gifts to foster kids in Brooklyn.

The West Village philanthropist once owned a successful technology company with her husband.

"Children (are) always my focus," Suchman said. "So that's why, a lot of foster kids get a lot of used things and I realized a lot of them never had a birthday gift that they actually wanted."

Thanks to Suchman's buying spree, thousands of homeless children will have at least one present to open for the holidays.

WSBTV