gift drive Archives - Westchester Jewish Community Services

WJCS 2026 Annual Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon

wjcs westchester2026-11-06T17:50:46-05:00November 6th, 2026|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: holiday drive, have a heart for the holidays, gift drive, toy drive|

WJCS’s annual Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon brought together longtime supporters, new friends, and community leaders, all united by a shared commitment to helping local children experience the joy of the holiday season. Hosted by WJCS NextGen Council member and Scarsdale resident Courtney Katze at her home, the luncheon collected more than 200 holiday gifts, contributing to WJCS’s largest holiday drive to date! WJCS team members Tally Palefski, Director of Early Childhood Programs, and Katrina Schermerhorn, Vice President of Children, Youth and Family Services, spoke to guests about how gifts would be distributed throughout our programs and ...

20th Annual WJCS Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon
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20th Annual WJCS Have a Heart for the Holidays Luncheon

Miriam Arond2025-12-03T12:41:28-05:00November 20th, 2025|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: have a heart for the holidays luncheon, gift drive, have a heart, get involved, Linda Plattus|

Scarsdale resident and Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Board member Linda Plattus hosted her 20th annual luncheon, along with WJCS Board Members Sarah Kayle and Nina Ross; NextGen Council Members Yael Friedland and Samantha Stavis; and Host Committee Michelle Dinenberg, Poornima Eber, Allison Friedland, Fara Friedman, Jennifer Galeon, Jessica Levinson, Jessica Eckhaus Modell, and Robin Silk on November 19. The luncheon raised over $10,000 and more than 250 toys have been collected so far. Local community groups are expected to collect close to 1,000 more toys in the next few weeks. Gifts will be distributed to WJCS ...

Community Counts: Coming Together to Celebrate Holidays
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Community Counts: Coming Together to Celebrate Holidays

Miriam Arond2024-12-11T14:00:13-05:00December 12th, 2024|Categories: Feature, Featured Homepage, General|Tags: holidays, have a heart for the holidays, gift drive, holocaust survivor programs, Shelanu, Chai House, IDD, Community, Nonprofit, Westchester|

Loneliness was declared a public health epidemic in 2023 by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. A 2024 American Psychiatric Association poll found that 30% of adults reported having experienced feelings of loneliness at least once a week during the past year. Ten percent said they feel lonely every day. The array of programs and services we offer at Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), one of the largest non-profit agencies in Westchester, range from mental health, trauma, and disabilities to senior care, early childhood development, educational enrichment, LGBTQ+, caregiver support, Jewish educational, spiritual, and cultural enrichment, and much more. What ...