STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The non-profit Person Centered Care Services recently raised over $100,000 to help support various Staten Island schools through its 2025 Holiday Drive.
“14 years ago, we started with one class, and it has expanded to almost 700 students,” said Nicole Donnelly of Person Centered Care Services, referring to the annual campaign. “The kids love it year after year, they truly are so happy to see what they open up and rip into, and it’s just so much fun to see their excitement.”
The 2025 campaign was supported by individual donors, community partners, and local businesses, expanding the drive’s reach across the Island’s schools.
The organization received funds from the Staten Island Foundation’s Diamond Matching Grant. The foundation matched donations two-to-one, helping the organization expand the Holiday Drive and other programs to be more inclusive and accessible to participants.
The funds were used to provide students with holiday gifts, classroom supplies, and items they had specifically requested, creating a meaningful and inclusive experience for both students and staff. Organization members visited local P37R and P373R sites across Staten Island, including: PS 36, PS 57, Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61); PS 48; PS 861; PS 58, and Early Explorers Campus.
Person Centered Care Services recently celebrated its 25th anniversary as a nonprofit and has grown the Holiday Drive into one of its largest community initiatives.
The annual drive is organized each year by members of the organization’s Day Habilitation program, which supports adults with disabilities. Participants help plan, fundraise, shop, wrap, and deliver gifts.
The annual drive is organized each year by members of the Person Centered Care Services Day Habilitation program, which supports adults with disabilities. Pictured here is a member of the program giving a gift to a student.(Courtesy of Person Centered Care Services)
Founded in 2001, Person Centered Care Services provides supportive and collaborative services to individuals with disabilities and their families throughout the Tristate area.
Programs include education, employment, housing, training, and advocacy initiatives.
Person Centered Care Services staff members said planning for the 2026 Holiday Drive is already underway, and they expressed appreciation to all donors, volunteers, school partners, and supporters who participated in the 2025 event.
Person Centered Care Services recently celebrated its 25th anniversary as a nonprofit and has grown the Holiday Drive into one of its largest community initiatives. (Courtesy of Person Centered Care Services)