Community Comes Together to Support More Than 1,000 Local Children Through WJCS (Westchester Jewish Community Services) Holiday Drive

Event Chairs: NextGen Council members Poornima Eber and Courtney Katze; Board members Sarah Kayle and Linda Plattus; NextGen Council member Marina Glezer; WJCS Chief Advancement Officer Amanda Garfinkle; and NextGen Council members Laura Greenfield and Amanda Beckman.
The spirit of giving shone at WJCS’s annual Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon, where community members gathered to support children and families throughout Westchester County during the holiday season.

Hosted by WJCS NextGen Council member and Scarsdale resident Courtney Katze at her home, the event brought together longtime supporters, new friends, and community leaders, all united by a shared goal: helping local children experience the joy of the holidays.

Attendees donated more than 200 holiday gifts during the luncheon, contributing to WJCS’s largest holiday drive to date. This year, the organization expects to provide holiday gifts and support to more than 1,000 children and youth served through its programs.

WJCS CEO Seth Diamond and Board Members, Jen Galeon, Linda Plattus, Sarah Kayle, Steve Beckman, and WJCS Chief Advancement Officer Amanda Garfinkle.
“The impact of these gifts extends far beyond the children who receive them,” said Amanda Garfinkle, Chief Advancement Officer at WJCS. “For parents and caregivers facing financial hardship, knowing that someone in the community cares enough to help make the holidays special for their children brings comfort, hope, and a sense of connection during an incredibly stressful time.”

The annual Have a Heart initiative supports children and families connected to a wide range of WJCS programs, including mental health services, youth programs, developmental disability services, and family support programs. For many families, the holiday season brings added financial pressures, making community support especially meaningful.

In addition to the hundreds of gifts collected, supporters can continue to contribute through monetary donations and purchases from the program’s Amazon Wishlist. Every contribution helps ensure that local children and families feel remembered and supported throughout the holiday season.

WJCS also thanked the Have a Heart Host Committee, including community members Amanda Beckman, Marina Glezer, Laura Greenfield, Courtney Katze, Sarah Kayle, Linda Plattus, Poornima Eber and Nina Ross, for organizing the successful event, and Blondie’s Treehouse for donating the floral arrangements that helped create a welcoming atmosphere for attendees.

As the organization continues its holiday drive, community members interested in getting involved can support the effort by donating, volunteering, or joining WJCS’s NextGen Network, a group of emerging community leaders dedicated to making a difference throughout Westchester.

To learn more about the Have a Heart holiday drive or other volunteer opportunities, visit WJCS.org.

WJCS-Westchester Jewish Community Services has been serving people facing major life obstacles in Westchester County since its founding in 1943. It is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit, trauma-informed human service agency. Its mission is to help people of all ages and backgrounds cope with emotional, substance use, disability, aging, social, and educational challenges. Agency experts use evidence-based practices to provide youth, mental health, trauma, disability, family, and senior services to about 20,000 people each year. It also offers privately funded programs for the Jewish community. WJCS is affiliated with Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY), a human and social services agency founded in 1883 that provides programs and services related to housing for seniors and disabled individuals, literacy and academic support for students in underserved communities, advocacy, free legal counsel, and education for kinship families, and guardianship for incapacitated adults in danger of neglect, abuse, and/or financial exploitation. The WJCS/FSSY affiliation ensures people in Westchester County who are struggling have access to the support they need. For more information, please visit www.wjcs.com.