About Us
Mary Didiuk, Ph.D., an organic chemist, and Diana Caty, an immigration attorney, have been friends since 2012. The idea for their non-profit came from Mary after conversations between Mary and her mom. With the hope of giving back to their community, Mary and Diana used this idea to co-found Traveling Toys, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, in March 2019.
As they looked for options to make toys available to children, they weighed several alternatives. Diana’s vision that Traveling Toys partner with Connecticut libraries has served as an effective strategy for broadening their reach. Their model gives all children and teens in local communities access to toys and games.
Mary and Diana believe that public libraries are ideal partners. Traveling Toys and libraries share a common goal of promoting education for children and teens from diverse backgrounds.
Our Story
Our Team
Board of Directors
Mary T. Didiuk, PhD, Co-Founder, Director
Diana Carney Caty, Co-Founder, Director
Ann Z. Lefler, Director
Neal Delaurentis, Director
Colleen Bailie, Director
In the Media
On June 17, 2025, Traveling Toys was featured on
NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show as part of the episode’s inspiring
“Rad Humans” segment!
To hear how our work brings joy to children and teens,
click on the show's name.
Ms. Jen Reveals the Toy Lending Library in the Ansonia Library
