On Monday, January 19, 2026, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., WJCS is hosting a Family Volunteer Event. We are inviting families with children of all ages to participate in collecting nonperishable food items and packing “Winter Hug” care packages with soup, cocoa, hats, and mittens for the Westchester community.  This is a great opportunity for families to bond and teach children the values of volunteerism and helping others.

Our Westchester families need our help now more than ever. With the rising cost of EVERYTHING and the reduction in support and benefits, families are struggling to buy food. Our school-based clinicians report that the most common worry among children this year has been having enough food.

WJCS opened a food pantry in Yonkers in July in response to our clients’ needs. The pantry distributes bags of fresh produce and nonperishable items to over 250 families on the second Tuesday of every month. We need to do more. We need your help. 

Please join us on Monday, January 19 to collect bags of nonperishable food for our community. We will be holding 2 volunteer shifts so that we can accommodate everyone who wants to volunteer and make as many care packages as possible to help families in need. We will also be decorating teddy bears for the children of the families who use the food pantry.

The registration fee for each child is $20. We also encourage you to purchase food items from our Amazon Wishlist to be sent to us ahead of the event.

Questions? Please contact Michelle Siegel, Volunteer & Event Associate, at msiegel@wjcs.com; 914-761-0600 x2209.