Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) held a hugely successful Gala at Brae Burn Country Club on Tuesday April 16th with hundreds of Westchester community and business leaders, government officials, and Westchester residents, all passionate advocates for helping those in need in Westchester County.
The event honorees were Meira Fleisch of Larchmont, a child and family advocate and longtime WJCS Board member who was an Early Learning Specialist in the WJCS ParentChild+ program for many years, and Stephanie Marquesano of Ardsley, founder of the harris project. Marquesano is a partner with WJCS in promoting the importance of identifying and treating the co-occurring disorders of substance use and mental health.
(From left) Seth Diamond, CEO; Meira Fleisch, Honoree; Stephanie Marquesano, Honoree; Lauren Candela-Katz, Chief Advancement Office; Shannon Van Loon, Chief Program Officer
The evening was filled with inspiring words and stories shared by WJCS clients who shared their struggles before coming to the agency and how the organization transformed their lives.
“Since 1943, WJCS has been here for the people of Westchester. Today we provide programs and services for 20,000 Westchester residents of all ages and backgrounds. This year’s Gala theme was “Support. Resiliency. Well-Being.” That captures the transformative impact that WJCS supporters make possible,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “With the support of our partners in government, philanthropic foundations, community organizations, and donors, we look forward to continuing to fulfill our mission of helping individuals in Westchester address mental health, educational, cognitive, social, aging, and financial challenges and shape positive futures.”
Chairman of the Westchester Legislature Vedat Gashi, Publisher of Inside Press Magazines Grace Bennett, and Westchester Commissioner of Mental Health Michael Orth INSIDE PRESS PHOTO
Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) Chairperson Emeritus Joseph Kaidanow (left) & HHREC’s Treasurer Andrew R. Benerofe INSIDE PRESS PHOTO
ABOUT WJCS WJCS-Westchester Jewish Community Services has been serving those most vulnerable in Westchester county since its founding in 1943. It is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit, trauma-informed human service agency and its mission is to help people of all ages and backgrounds cope with emotional, cognitive, environmental, physical, interpersonal, social, and educational challenges. Agency experts, using evidence-based practices, provide youth, mental health, trauma, disabilities, and senior services to approximately 20,000 people each year. It also offers privately-funded educational and spiritual programs for the Jewish community. For more information, please visit https://www.wjcs.com.
