WJCS 2021 Have a Heart for the Holidays Drive,
a Huge Success!

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) 16th Annual Have a Heart for the Holidays Drive was an enormous success, bringing holiday joy to hundreds of needy children in underserved communities in Westchester County. Over 1,200 younger children received toys and games while about 530 older children received gift cards.

WJCS Board member Linda Plattus hosted her annual Have a Heart for the Holidays Drive luncheon in her Scarsdale home, where fellow Board members Michele Brettschneider, Sarah Kayle, Nina Ross, Shirley Shwiel, and Suzanne Yearley joined in raising attention about this important initiative to all the event attendees.

Community partners participated in this year’s drive in a huge way; UJA Northern Westchester’s Young Families Division supplied nearly 1,000 toys through their Gift of Chanukah event. 

Westchester synagogues Temple Beth Shalom, Community Synagogue Rye, Congregation Emanu El, Shaarei Tikvah, and Woodlands Community Temple and the Leffel School also collected toys on behalf of WJCS for the drive. Flames of Giving collected toys with a focus on infants and toddlers. 

“This has been a challenging time for all children, especially those whose families have financial need,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “It is a thrill to be able to relieve some of the burden of parents in underserved communities and help them enjoy the festivity of the holidays.”

Founded in 1943, WJCS is one of the largest non-sectarian, not-for-profit, trauma- informed human services agencies in Westchester. They provide services to 20,000 Westchester residents, of all ages and backgrounds, annually to help them overcome life challenges and achieve personal success. Their 88+ programs include:mental health treatment, child and youth development initiatives, programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, services for older adults, and privately-funded educational and spiritual programs for the Jewish community. Programs and treatment are being offered via Telehealth during COVID-19. 

To learn more, go to www.wjcs.com .