Open Door Starts 36th 'Give a Toy and Share the Joy' Drive

OSSINING, NY — Open Door Family Medical Center celebrates its 36th "Give a Toy and Share the Joy" annual holiday toy drive this season.

The annual tradition began in 1987 with a local family collecting 100 toys at their holiday party to distribute to Open Door patients. Today, Open Door patients register for a time to pick up their holiday bags on a designated day in December at its sites in Ossining, Port Chester, Sleepy Hollow, Mount Kisco, Mamaroneck and Brewster.

"We went from distributing toys to one hundred children to over 1350 families today," Jane Levy, Senior Manager of Volunteer Programs for Open Door Family Medical Center and Foundation, told Patch. "I continually meet people who remember coming to Open Door as a child to see Santa. It is so nice that we have created so many fond memories."

Local companies, individuals, families, and schools support the campaign by sponsoring toy drives or making donations through the first two weeks of December. In addition to new toys, Open Door provide families with holiday gift bundles that include books, pajamas and stocking stuffers.

They are especially looking for gifts this year for pre-teen and teen girls. Also, volunteers are needed to sort and distribute toys. For additional information on supporting the drive, contact jlevy@odfmc.org or call 914-502-1468.

Levy said it has been a pleasure to oversee the annual project.

"There have been some challenges along the way, especially during the pandemic," she said. "Previously, Santa Claus visited our six medical centers. Lines of children formed every year to have their picture taken with Santa and receive a gift. We knew how important this event had become to our community and created an alternative plan."

There is no longer a Santa Claus — parents now pick up gift bundles for their children.

"The upside is that we fill these bundles with new toys, pajamas, books, hand-knitted items, and even rolls of wrapping paper," she said. "We distribute over 5,500 gifts every year, and this is all because of the generosity of the Westchester-Putnam community."

Open Door was started 50 years ago by community leaders concerned about the health of and lack of access to medical care for people without health insurance or deep pockets. In 1972 it launched in the basement of the Ossining First Baptist Church, staffed with volunteer doctors and nurses, and saw 1,000 patients.

Now it offers family medicine, dental services, behavioral health care, women’s health including obstetrics, vision services, insurance enrollment assistance, and more. It operates health centers in Ossining, Brewster, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Sleepy Hollow, and Port Chester, and a dental site in Saugerties. Additionally, it runs a mobile dental van and nine school-based Health Centers in the Ossining, Port Chester, and Webutuck school districts.

And it continues the tradition begun in 1987 at one holiday party.

"Every year we receive thank you notes from the families," Levy said. "I know that for me and for all those that volunteer and contribute, we feel grateful that we can create so much happiness for those struggling to make ends meet."