Community Council partnered with New Directions for Youth (NDY) to host a toy drive on the Quad from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7. Students were encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys for low-income families for a chance to take pictures with Santa and Hanukkah Harry, throw snowballs at their friends and grab candy canes from Community Council’s table.
Established in 1975, NDY provides direct services and programs, such as counseling, General Educational Development (GED) preparation and after school programs, to at-risk families. The organization supports individuals throughout North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Panorama City and contiguous areas, according to their website.
Community Council member Zoe Roth ’24 said NDY has a vital role in helping underserved communities.
“NDY has provided critically needed services to more than 200 thousand youth,” Roth said. “The majority of [youth] come from very low income families residing in underserved geographic areas.”
Community Council member Nate Verny ’25 said the drive was a success.
“The toy drive went pretty well,” Verny said. “We got some donations, and I think we did a good job spreading awareness for future drives.”
Verny said planning for the drive began before Thanksgiving break and continued throughout the week leading up to the event.
“We had to coordinate our set up for Thursday’s event, wrap 11 boxes, acquire outfits, send out emails and get a lot of supplies,” Verny said.
Ellery Shapiro ’24 said donating to the drive was a rewarding experience.
“Giving back to the community felt great,” Shapiro said. “I know [that] if I were in need, I would appreciate it if others thought about me and cared enough to spend time, money and energy on me. All kids should be able to experience the joy of opening gifts on Christmas morning.”
