Think Happy NY’s new website is live

Think Happy NY has a new home on the web: thinkhappyny.com. This is the place to learn who we are, support a program, and register for the events that fund the work.

We built the site so a parent, a donor, a volunteer, or a neighbor on Long Island can find a clear next step without calling around for the basics.

Why we started

Think Happy NY began in March 2019, after one child’s loss made the gap impossible to ignore.

A little girl lost her mom to breast cancer. Her mom had hoped to reach a Disney World hotel on the monorail line. That trip did not happen in time. Five months later, the child’s birthday was coming. We helped make a Disney World trip possible, and we watched a smile return — even if only for a while.

That is still the standard. We work with children and families served through the Hospice Care Network Bereavement Program, and with trusted partners, so a first birthday or holiday without someone they love does not go unmarked. About one in five children experiences the loss of a loved one before age 18. They should not have to face that quietly.

Our mission is direct: support children and families facing loss, hardship, and life’s hardest moments with programs that bring comfort, a little joy, and a reminder that they are not alone.

Since 2019, that work has included more than 1,500 children helped on a first birthday or holiday without a loved one, support from about 2,000 individual and corporate donors, holiday visits that have taken Santa and Mrs. Claus hundreds of miles across Long Island, and Welcome Boxes, which we introduced in 2025 for children entering the Bereavement Program for the first time.

Think Happy NY, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity (EIN 84-2650117), based in Levittown.

Programs you can support

Gifts can go where they are needed most, or you can designate a program at thinkhappyny.com/donate.

Birthday Angels
Thoughtful gifts and a privately coordinated birthday for children supported through bereavement and family-care programs. Give to Birthday Angels.

Welcome Boxes
A first-contact box — comfort items, activities, and a cuddly companion — for children and families entering the Bereavement Program. Sponsor a box.

Holiday Angels
Seasonal gifts and practical support so the holidays are not another empty room. Give to Holiday Angels.

Hope & Healing
Resources and steady support for children and families navigating grief and life after hardship. Give to Hope & Healing.

Family Connection
Gatherings and shared time so caregivers and children feel less isolated. Give to Family Connection.

On the donate page, we currently describe example gifts this way: $25 toward a birthday gift, $50 toward a Welcome Box, $100 toward an event experience, and $250 toward year-round program work. Tribute and memorial gifts are available.

Events open for registration

Texas Hold ’Em Tournament — tickets are on sale
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
The Hartigan House, Bethpage, NY

Get tickets. Entry is $100 and includes chips, food, and an open bar. Re-buys and add-ons are available. Table sponsorship is $500 (signage on one poker table). Event sponsorship is $1,000 (recognition and table signage).

Questions: (516) 448-7471 or [email protected].

Our 5th annual Night for Smiles gala was held March 23, 2026, at Nassau Coliseum. That page remains as a record of the evening. New community dates will be posted on Events as they are confirmed.

How to use the new site

• About — mission, story, and the people behind the work

• Programs — Birthday Angels, Welcome Boxes, Holiday Angels, Hope & Healing, and Family Connection

• Events — including Texas Hold ’Em ticket registration

• Donate — secure, tax-deductible giving

• Get involved — volunteer, host a drive, or ask about a partnership
  
  If you have been with us since the first Disney trip, thank you. If you are new, this is a good place to start.

— Karyn and Alyson
Founders, Think Happy NY