At WJCS, #GivingTuesday is #GratefulTuesday

Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 in response to the commercialization of the holiday season. Dedicating the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to asking for donations was quickly adapted by non-profit organizations throughout the United States. For the last few years, the hashtag #GivingTuesday has become ubiquitous on social media and in email campaigns, accompanied by appeals from thousands of charities.

WJCS, the largest non-profit licensed provider of mental healthservices and one of the biggest human service organizations in Westchester County, adapts a different approach:

“Our staff has turned #GivingTuesday into #GratefulTuesday. We devote the day to calling our donors and thanking them for the vital support they give WJCS,” says Susan Lewen, Chief Development Officer at WJCS. “It is only because of the generosity of our donors, that WJCS can provide a vast range of human services—from autism, Alzheimer’s and afterschool programming to trauma therapy, mental health treatment, LGBTQ support groups for teens, activities for Holocaust survivors, and much more.”

“Our donors recognize the deep commitment that WJCS has toward our clients, and they translate that into taking action and being generous in supporting our work,” says WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “We are grateful for the strong support we receive from our donors and from governmental partners, including local municipalities, Westchester County, and the state of New York who help fund WJCS programs.”

They say “it takes a village.” The support WJCS receives from donors is vital in order to provide programs and services to 20,000 Westchester County residents each year. By establishing the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as #GratefulTuesday, a day to reach out to those who have shown WJCS generous support, WJCS stands out from the crowd of other non-profit organizations and also demonstrates an attitude of gratitude, an attitude that one hopes prevails through this holiday season.

WJCS is one of the largest non-profit, non-sectarian human services agencies in Westchester, serving 20,000 people annually. Our trauma-informed agency’s integrated network of services includes mental health treatment and counseling, child and youth development programs, residential and non-residential programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and geriatric services. The highest level of professional development and training is offered through the WJCS Educational Institute. For more information on WJCS, go to www.wjcs.com.