{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"Zipper Junction Project Brings Holiday Joy to Hundreds of Local Children","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":900,"description":"Since 2017, the Zipper Junction Project’s Holiday Toy Drive has been more than just a gift-giving program—it’s become a lifeline for families across Wayne and Pike counties. Each year, it delivers toys, essentials, and a touch of holiday magic to hundreds of children who might otherwise go without.The project began in a moment of urgency. A local organization that had been serving the area suddenly closed, leaving children at risk of missing out on holiday gifts. Jim Zumpone, founder and chief visionary of the Zipper Junction Project, was asked to store a few donated toys in his business. What started as a small favor quickly grew into something much bigger.“I received a kind of a frantic phone call asking me if I could store some toys in my building for my main business, and it turned into within a week’s time creating a whole new program,” Zumpone said. “We help on average about 500 kids a year. Everything we collect is in Wayne and Pike Counties, and everything we distribute is in Wayne and Pike Counties.”When asked why he chose to start a new program rather than continue with the existing one, Zumpone explained, “I was a little disillusioned with how they actually operate and it wasn’t local enough for me. That was the driver for creating this program.”Local focus is at the heart of Zipper Junction. “The folks that donate live here, and a lot of them want to see their help go to local people,” he said. “Some they may know, some they may not, but it’s to see things collected and go, literally hundreds of miles away. It sounds somewhat selfish, but we’re trying to solve a problem locally from the local population.”The logistics of the toy drive are no small feat. “We created an online application process where we tell folks if they apply through our website and they answer everything honestly, they will be accepted. It’s not like they have to wait to learn if they’re accepted. We do verify everything later through an interview process,” Zumpone said.With nearly...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}