Volunteers meet year round at St. Joseph&rsquo;s Catholic Church in Ronkonkoma to make dolls for the holiday season.&nbsp;NewsdayTV&#39;s Virginia Huie reports.

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The Giving Doll volunteers make toys for kids in need

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Find out what you need to know about financial programs for parental leave in 2025.

What does NYS Paid Family Leave, FMLA pay on Long Island?

From Long Beach to Shelter Island, Long Island is a cool place if you want to delve into a Polar Plunge.

Dips for fun and a cause: Here are polar plunges to join this season

Stephanie Sicurella, who became a new mother this week, was born in 1994 without the internal organs to digest food properly.

30 years after surviving multiple surgeries, LI woman gives birth to baby boy

This slice of Nassau provides a daycation of fun. 

Exploring Museum Row in Uniondale: How to fill a cold or rainy day

Parents may have up to 20 weeks of time off — at varying levels of compensation — available during a baby's first year.

How LI families are maximizing parental leave with baby

This cold-weather season, there's no reason to hibernate.

Winter nightlife on LI: From a hidden speakeasy to making pizza, fun ideas for adults 

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Fitness fusion blends exercises like Pilates, yoga and boxing in one workout session. 

These LI fusion fitness classes offer one-stop resolution workouts

Explore the history of Aurora Plastics, the Long Island company behind iconic model kits of superheroes, monsters and historic vehicles through the '70s.

Long Islanders remember the days of model kits and trips to West Hempstead's Aurora factory

The group, with over 2,600 members, also hosts regular in-person meetups and community-building activities for families.

LI parents of neurodiverse children connect through Facebook group

Discover places to keep warm and active this winter with our guide to indoor amusement centers. Here's where you can sing karaoke, play arcade games and more. 

Ultimate guide to indoor fun on Long Island: Arcades, ax-throwing, play centers and more

ClawCADE in Uniondale offers 80 claw machines and 60 arcade games, blending traditional and modern gaming with prizes ranging from plush toys to electronics.

An arcade full of claw machines opens at Roosevelt Field mall

Everyone from teens to senior citizens are learning the classic parlor game.

Once a fading pastime, mah-jongg is making a comeback on LI

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Tap Room in Rockville Centre has line dancing events every Thursday that are very popular.

'Massive increase of line dancing on Long Island'

The franchise has ties to a famous South Korean noodle and dumpling shop.

Must-try noodle shop opens in Little Neck

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano visits two restaurants serving creative brunch items.

2 brunch spots to check out

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Meghan Giannotta make charm bracelets at Hitch in Babylon; one of many DIY gift ideas found inside Newsday's 2024 Ultimate Gift Guide.

DIY gift idea: Making charm bracelets in Babylon

The dynamic duo created 'Our Filipino Grandma' with over a million followers across platforms.

This lola and her grandson spread memes, positivity and Filipino culture on TikTok

The "scone queen," shares her recipes, comedy and Italian-American culture on TikTok, growing not only her following, but also growing her business called "The Hungry Gnome."

How recipes, comedy and her Italian-American heritage grew this chef's social media following.

Mele, 24, has over 27 million followers on TikTok and made content creation his full-time job.

He dropped out of college to make comedy videos with his dad. Now, TikTok is his full-time job.

Newsday food writer Erica Marcus visits Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop in Westbury.

Exploring Yemeni coffee culture

Syed educates her audience about the difference between culture and religion while also sharing her love for music and things to do across Long Island. 

Wearing a hijab on social media helps her "reclaim the narrative" of how Muslims are perceived, a TikToker says.

He travels across the country sharing his story at schools to inspire students to overcome adversity.

Rohan Murphy, a double amputee, travels to Long Island schools to help inspire students to overcome adversity.

Think your local deli has the best BEC? Russo might have rated it.

Rating cheese pulls and tasting breakfast sandwiches at delis around Long Island helped this Amityville teen reach thousands on TikTok. 

Bastos, 27, has over 2 million followers and has made enough money through her posts to quit her job and move to Los Angeles.

She started posting videos on TikTok impersonating her Long Island mom

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See inside the 2024 Fall/Winter Fun Book with guides to u-pick apple orchards, pumpkin farms, holiday festivals and more.

Guide to winter fun

Keep the kids entertained — without spending a dime.

Free winter activities

Options include festivals, family-friendly fun, concerts and more.

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