Chamber Members Give Back Through Annual Meeting Community Pumpkin Patch
The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Annual Meeting brought hundreds of members together to connect, celebrate, and give back through the Chamber’s first Community Pumpkin Patch.
With admission to the October 14 Annual Meeting complimentary for Chamber members, attendees were encouraged to bring an item to support one of several local nonprofit organizations. The response exceeded expectations, with members arriving with bags, boxes, and bins filled with donations ranging from personal care products and children’s games to gardening supplies, shoes, and household items.
The Community Pumpkin Patch was created as a fun way to incorporate giving into the Chamber’s largest gathering of the year while directing donations to organizations serving Staten Islanders throughout the community.
Donations supported seven local organizations:
Seamen’s Society for Children and Families’ Little Convenience Store received eight to nine bags of personal care and household necessities. Donations included dozens of packages of baby wipes, diapers, shampoo and conditioner, feminine hygiene products, laundry detergent, soap, body wash, deodorant, baby powder, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other essential items.
Community Resources Staten Island’s Joseph Conti Serenity Garden received a full bin of gardening supplies, including at least two dozen packets of seeds, gardening gloves, knee pads, and new gardening tools.
Community Agency for Senior Citizens (CASC) received a full bin of comfort and activity items for local older adults. Donations included blankets, dozens of pairs of socks, crossword and word search books, new novels, personal hygiene products, and new umbrellas.
YMCA received four bags filled with items for children and families, including STEM games, children’s books, board and card games, arts and crafts supplies, sidewalk chalk, sports equipment, puzzles, and toys.
Play Passion Project received at least two dozen pairs of shoes to support its work in the community.
Eden II Programs received more than a dozen new board games along with coloring books, paints, Play-Doh, craft projects, puzzles, books, clay, slime kits, and other recreational supplies.
A Very Special Place received several bags of supplies, including pots and pans, cooking utensils, flatware, coloring books, canvases, paint, and paintbrushes.
“We wanted to find a way to make our Annual Meeting not only a celebration of our business community, but also an opportunity for our members to collectively do something good for Staten Island,” said Linda Baran, President and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. “Our members really came through. Seeing everything that was donated and knowing it was going directly to organizations serving our neighbors made the Community Pumpkin Patch one of the most meaningful parts of the evening.”
The Community Pumpkin Patch was part of the Chamber’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Member Meetup, held at the Hilton Garden Inn on October 14. The event brought together Chamber members for an evening of business updates, networking, recognition of longtime Chamber members, and community engagement.
The Chamber thanks every member who contributed to the Community Pumpkin Patch and helped turn a simple donation drive into a significant collection of needed items for organizations across Staten Island.
