Colleen Moseman Gives Joy With Toys

Colleen Moseman is the Executive Director of a toy lending center that caters to children with special needs and their families. She started the toy lending center in 1986 because she saw and felt a real need having spent time with the children while working at local libraries. Colleen underwent training and practices the techniques taught at the National Lekotek Center whose mission is to help children with special needs through toys and play. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Family Life Studies and a Masters in Special Education, so she is well qualified to offer this service to the community and while it might look like just "play," much care is taken to match each child with the right toy. The philosophy of the Lekotek Center is to "give children with disabilities access to the benefits of play experiences, because when a child enters the realm of play, he also enters the realm of potential and possibilities. Children who have disabilities can and do face obstacles engaging in play. As a child experiences new situations through the act of play they create new understandings and conceptualizations of the world around them. When the child's special needs are thus met, they can depart from a world of struggles, tasks, therapies and treatments into the joyful experience of play and through that accomplish more than anyone ever dreamed possible." While Colleen is and has been the sole staff member at the Center since its founding, she welcome volunteers who want to help once a month on "Respite Night" when parents are invited to drop their children at the Center from 5-8:30PM. Play groups are also organized during holiday breaks. If anyone is interested in volunteering or donating (and donations come in many forms), please call Colleen at 516-889-8287 or send an email to [email protected] Some examples of donations include thousands of dollars from one generous individual to $13,000 raised by local high school students who organized a dance marathon. Colleen says she becomes newly inspired to continue working to keep the center open when people make such generous gestures. Twenty-eight families are currently in the program and Colleen makes home visits to six others who are too medically fragile to make the trips to the center. Colleen received an award from the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities for her outstanding efforts. She estimates she's helped hundreds of children over the years. Do you someone who helps children or other people with special needs enjoy life just a little more? Nominate them for next week's AmericanTowns Heroes.