Aglow with Generosity: ECS GivingTuesday 2025

ECS supporters gather together in the spirit of giving. December 2025.

The holiday season is upon us, and as much as the season preaches the importance of generosity, compassion, and love, those values are often overshadowed by the consumeristic nature of the holidays. GivingTuesday is an annual movement that helps bring generosity back to the forefront.  

On GivingTuesday, people can support endless causes, including ECS’ programs right here in San Diego. Gifts help families build brighter futures, children grow in confidence, and neighbors find hope in recovery. 

Community partners like Enterprise Bank provide crucial support to ECS. December 2025.

Each year ECS participates in GivingTuesday with a fundraising campaign and event. The 2025 event took place at Quigley Fine Wines for the third year in a row. Guests enjoyed wine tastings – with a portion of the proceeds from wine sales going to ECS – beautiful charcuterie boards, and meaningful conversations and camaraderie centered around ECS.  

Jimena Villaseñor, the Business Programs Manager at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, attended the GivingTuesday event. Jimena first learned about ECS while working at the Chamber. Interacting with CEO Elizabeth Wilberg and advocating for ECS’ mission while on the Chamber’s annual delegation trip to Washington D.C. caused her to become fond of the organization’s work, leading her to eventually join ECS’ Advocacy Committee. “What really calls me to be more involved with ECS is the big sense of community they have not only for the Episcopal community, but overall in fostering care and love for everyone,” Jimena said. The GivingTuesday event was the perfect example of that supportive community. 

This year, ECS is reflecting on what it means to light the season with love. Jimena shared that GivingTuesday lights the season with love for her because “It reminds me of what the holidays are about. Not only about gifts, not only about being together with the ones we’re closest to but also reflecting on those who are in need and analyzing how can we be better citizens to our community for the following year.”  

Thank you to everyone who came out to show their support for ECS and for everyone who gave to ECS this GivingTuesday. Thanks to the incredible generosity of ECS’ supporters, ECS raised over $15,000 this GivingTuesday, unlocking the full $5,000 matching gift, bringing the total impact to $20,000. ECS could not make the impact it does without this support. Every gift truly makes a difference. 

To learn more about how to give back to ECS visit https://www.ecscalifornia.org/donate.

Guests enjoy refreshments and community at the GivingTuesday event. December 2025.

The event promotes the holiday spirit of generosity. December 2025.

The Gift of Music: Kodály Music Program

The Kodály Music Program gives students an early introduction to the arts. September 2025.

As part of an effort to expand arts education for our littlest learners, ECS launched a Kodály (pronounced code-I) music pilot program at ECS San Ysidro Head Start. Kodály music lessons began last month and will include 14 weekly lessons throughout the semester, wrapping the year with an “in-formance” where families and caregivers will be invited to join their students in singing and moving together. ECS is one of only a few programs in San Diego to offer these specialized music lessons and it is the only program of its kind in the South Bay region.  

A Kodály-qualified instructor engages students in listening and singing along to songs. August 2025.

This initiative would not be possible without donor support and the partnership of the San Diego Children’s Choir. The Kodály program was generously funded by an anonymous music lover who seeks to introduce the love of music to the next generation of students. Their gift provides supplies, materials, and operational expenses to launch this first-of-its-kind program and open up a world of musical expression for our students. The San Diego Children’s Choir provided the Kodály trained instructor.

The Kodály music education method originated in Hungary in the mid-twentieth century. It approaches music education in accordance with a child’s current developmental stage. The first introduction to music is through listening, singing, and movement. Teaching points include rhythm syllables, rhythm sequence and notation, and melodic sequence among other topics designed to build a fundamental understanding of music. 

Although these lessons sound complex, the Kodály method uses simple tactics such as singing games, fun and play, and visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements to fuse enjoyment with key learning milestones.  

Students learn the foundations of musical creation and rhythm through movement. August 2025.

The arts are an essential part of a well-rounded education. Research shows a direct correlation between artistic learning and early academic and social-emotional success. However, inequalities in accessibility to arts education are still largely prevalent for students living in lower socioeconomic status areas. A child’s education and development should not be limited by their zip code. ECS aims to break these barriers and provide early access to the arts to ECS students. Through initiatives like the Kodály music program, students will receive the resources and experiences required to meet their emotional, social, and psychological needs. This program will impact over 40 children and their families enrolled at ECS San Ysidro Head Start.  

By ensuring that ECS students are engaging in the arts, ECS is setting them up for success as they transition to kindergarten and beyond, building a stronger and happier new generation of San Diegans. 

To learn more about ECS’ early childhood education programs visit www.ecsheadstart.org. 

Support from Partner Rummage Sales

ECS’ Director of Development Tim Whipple on the St. Dunstan’s runway shows off rummage items. September 2025.

Thank you to St. Dunstan's - San Diego's Rummage Sale and St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla's White Elephant Sale for supporting ECS programs like Uptown Safe Haven. Their grants help us provide essentials like linens and towels, making our residents feel at home. This year, our Director of Development, Tim, even hit the runway at St. Dunstan’s fashion show such a fun way to celebrate community and generosity.

Growing Up Great with PNC Bank

Students give PNC Bank volunteer a group hug after reading activity. April 2025.

Community partners of ECS provide invaluable support to clients. One of these partners is PNC Bank, offering volunteers, classroom supplies, activities, and engagement to ECS Head Start students.

Last month, PNC Bank sent four volunteers to a Head Start center to celebrate spring. Students planted seeds and did some arts and crafts with the help of the volunteers. Afterward, students took their pots home and watched their plants flourish as they cared for them.

Students plant seeds to take home and care for. March 2025.

The springtime fun continued with PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great Month, where they focus on giving back to their community partners, and in their 21st year of building brighter futures, PNC donated new books for Head Start classrooms and a bilingual activity book for each child. Two volunteers from PNC Bank, Eva Bryant and Valerie Attisha, visited ECS San Ysidro Head Start to read with the children.

ECS is grateful for the support from PNC Bank. The volunteers and resources shared benefit ECS Head Start children, educators, and families, expanding education to a new level and creating lasting memories.

To learn more about ECS’ community partners, visit Partners — Episcopal Community Services.

Volunteers help students with a craft activity. March 2025.

Students’ plants bloom after a few weeks of care. April 2025.