Community Council hosted a toy drive on campus from Dec. 9 to Dec. 13 in support of New Directions for Youth, an organization that provides many services and programs that support children in need.

Founded in 1975, New Directions for Youth is a locally based organization that provides support for youth in low-income communities in the San Fernando Valley. Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Teacher and Counselor Michelle Bracken said that the toy drive is an opportunity for students to support New Directions for Youth’s programs.

“New Directions for Youth is an organization that provides after school classes, gang intervention, counseling, food assistance, mentoring and many more programs, to more than 3,000 at risk youth and families annually,” Bracken said.

Organization provides support to members in the community 

Over the past year, New Directions for Youth has provided these opportunities to over 3,000 young adults from low-income communities. The population of young people the organization supports range from 8 years old to 21 years old and is made up of several different ethnicities. According to the organization’s website, they offer a variety of services to ensure that every young adult can have the support they need.

“We recognize that our clients’ needs are extremely complex and we have worked to develop an array of services, including both prevention and intervention programs, to meet these diverse needs,” the New Directions for Youth website says.

Community Council held the toy drive by placing bins in Mudd Library and Rugby Hall where students donated unused toys to New Directions for Youth. Community Council member Carli Cooperstein ’20 said that the toy drive made the holiday season more exciting for kids in need.

“It’s a really great and easy way to give back to kids in our community just through a simple act of kindness,” Cooperstein said.