Feeding Westchester: A Lifeline for Thousands of Hungry Residents
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Perhaps you’ve noticed people clutching empty bags in a long lines just over the border in White Plains. Many from Scarsdale drive by and wonder what these folks are waiting for. Sadly the answer is food. That’s right. Even in a wealthy county like Westchester the pandemic has hit hard and thousands have lost their jobs and are experiencing food insecurity, some for the first time. Feeding Westchester, an agency that distributes food to those in need, reports that they are serving 260,000- 300,000 residents per month, twice the number of people they helped before the COVID-19 outbreak.
How do they do it and how can you help? Read below for the story of an organization that is providing a lifeline to those most in need.
Tell us what Feeding Westchester is doing to feed those in need in Southern Westchester.
Feeding Westchester works with a network of nearly 300 partners and programs that distribute food throughout all of Westchester County, including pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and our mobile food pantry. We have also partnered with additional emergency “pop-up” pantries to meet the increased need due to COVID-19.
How do you secure the food? Is it all donated or do you need to purchase some of it?
Food comes to us in three ways. Some is purchased or provided by government programs, while other food is sourced through donation (such as food drives or retail recovery). Our Retail Recovery program allows local grocers and suppliers to contribute, rather than waste, food that is still usable. Those in the food service business may also donate food or household products for local people in need.
What is typically given to a family when they come to collect food – what are the contents of the bag?
Deliveries of fresh produce and dry goods are made to our programs and agencies each week. Specific items vary based on availability. Produce is sourced at least once a week and people receive all types of food at distributions. Agencies can also select the quantity and type of meat and dairy they wish to receive.
Tell us where and how the food is stored and distributed in this area.
The Feeding Westchester warehouse is located in Elmsford and delivers throughout Westchester. We have been distributing roughly 100,000 pounds of food per day (2 million pounds per month) since March through our partners and programs—twice the volume as compared to pre-COVID. Our partners include schools, pantries, soup kitchens, mobile food pantries, United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties, Boys and Girls Club Mount Vernon, DoorDash, and our senior grocery program.
In terms of numbers, how have you seen the demand for food grow since the beginning of the pandemic? Do you ever run out of food and have to turn people away?
Feeding Westchester’s programs and partner agencies are serving between 260,000 – 300,000 residents who are hungry each month — more than twice as many as pre-COVID-19. This includes a number of individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity for the first time as a result of the pandemic. We have distributed nearly 20 million pounds of food, or 17.4 million meals, in the last year compared to 10.2 million pounds in 2019.
Thankfully, Feeding Westchester has never run out of food. We have also created “pop-up” distribution sites when needed, to ensure that every person in need has access to fresh, nutritious food.
Do you receive any government funding?
Yes, Feeding Westchester receives funding from the county, state and federal government in addition to support from individuals, corporations, and organizations throughout our community.
Tell us briefly about the history of Feeding Westchester. When and how did it start and how has it evolved?
The mission of Feeding Westchester is to end hunger in Westchester County. As the heart of a large network, we source and distribute food, and other resources, to towns across Westchester helping to ensure that none of our neighbors are hungry.
We were incorporated in 1988 as the "Food-PATCH" (People Allied to Combat Hunger) to fight the growing problem of hunger in Westchester County. At that time, operations consisted of one man, one van, and one small room at the Sharing Community Center in Yonkers, NY.
In 1990, we moved to a distribution facility in Hawthorne and distributed over one million pounds of food. We also became affiliated with America’s Second Harvest (now Feeding America).
We changed our name in 2007 to Food Bank For Westchester, distributing over 5 million pounds of food through 167 local programs. Five years later, we moved into our current distribution center in Elmsford, which houses the largest walk-in freezer in Westchester County.
In 2017, we launched our first Fresh Market programs. With the celebration of our 30th anniversary in 2018, we rebranded as Feeding Westchester to better reflect our mission and the scope of our work.
As mentioned above, Feeding Westchester is a member of Feeding America, the nationwide network of more than 200 food banks serving every state in the United States. Our membership gives us access to millions of pounds of donated food products from national companies and also provides access to trainings and resources that help us maximize efficiency. We are proud to be part of the top ten percent of Feeding America’s member food banks for distributing nutritious food to local people.
Today, Feeding Westchester supplies the region’s food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and daycare and residential programs. Our collaboration with major retailers and corporations, and our expertise in food procurement, storage, and distribution, turns every monetary donation into fresh food for our community.
Do you envision any long-term solutions to the problem of hunger in Westchester?
Hunger is here — right where we live. Although many in Westchester are wealthy, the cost of living is high. With fixed expenses like rent and childcare on the rise, groceries are often the first line slashed in a household’s budget.
Feeding Westchester is at the heart of a network that expertly sources and distributes food and resources to feed people who are hungry in every town in Westchester, nourishing all who are in need. Our mission is to end hunger in Westchester County.
How can readers help – do you need food donations, monetary donations or volunteers? Please provide details on how readers can get involved.
As Westchester continues to navigate COVID-19, our neighbors are relying on Feeding Westchester more than ever. Readers can get involved by making a donation, hosting a food drive or by participating in a virtual volunteer opportunity.
Karen C. Erren, President & CEO of Feeding Westchester explained, “This holiday season presents an unprecedented set of challenges for many families and individuals right here in Westchester County. From those who are struggling to make the holidays special for their children, to seniors who are spending the holidays alone, the impact of hunger is pervasive in our community. Feeding Westchester is here to support our neighbors who are struggling with hunger and make their holiday season a little bit brighter.”
Every $1 donated to Feeding Westchester provides three meals for children, seniors, and working families struggling with hunger over the holida¬¬y season. To find help, or to help, go to feedingwestchester.org.
Update from SNAP on Holiday Giving: Neighborly’ Doesn’t Just Mean Scarsdale.
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Rokaya Hassaballa with HOPE Executive Director Walt Ritz, Director of Operations Benito Ceja and Pantry Director Sister Mary Alice Hannan and SNAP for HOPE’s Week 1 donations (both tables!).This letter was writing by Scarsdale Neighborhood Association President Sarah Bell
Dear Scarsdale: We officially kicked-off SNAP for HOPE this week and all I can say is wow!
This week we delivered a total of 1,950 baked items, several hundred books and a few toys to HOPE. The items we delivered went directly from our cars to tables for HOPE clients. Thank you, Scarsdale! Let’s keep up the great work!
Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents and all of the Scarsdale Neighborhood Associations invite you to participate in SNAP for HOPE, a six week of Village-wide holiday season service to provide baked goods, books and toys to HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle.
All Scarsdale residents can assist HOPE (Help Our People Eat) Community Services, the largest emergency Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen in our region. They need 1,600 baked items every week to provide to their client population, especially families and the elderly, as well as used books and new toys. SNAP’s goal is for Scarsdale to meet HOPE’s full 1,600 item need every week for the six consecutive weeks from Thanksgiving to the New Year plus donate much needed books and toys.
If you would like to participate, please email: SnapPres10583@gmail.com.
Looking ahead:
HOPE let us know that they are short on new toys for the families that signed up for holiday toys. If anyone can sign up to donate new toys, please consider doing so.
We could use some baskets/trays for our baked goods and a folding or similar bookshelf for all of the books. If anyone has any baskets or similar to donate, or a bookshelf that will fit in a trunk that they are willing to donate, please email snappres10583@gmail.com.
If you would like to bake and haven’t signed up, please consider signing up for Weeks 4, 5 or 6, which are short(er) on volunteers.
Emails with information and reminders will go out twice during the week before each Monday delivery.
All baked goods, books and toys should be in paper shopping bags with handles and clearly labelled with the type of item and number of items in the bag (i.e. 65 cookies, 10 books, 3 toys, etc).
Toys should NOT be wrapped.
Non-perishable” means – does not need to be refrigerated (any ‘traditional’ baked item is fine!).
To participate, please email: SnapPres10583@gmail.com.
Boys Varsity Soccer Team Celebrates Senior Night
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Senior Night ceremony (from left to right): Jack Porter, Michael Waxman, Sebastian Rhett, Cooper Cohen, Adam Wasserman, and Esteban Rudloff. (Senior Alex Coeytaux was unable to attend due to quarantine.)On November 2nd, Scarsdale’s Boys Varsity A Soccer team celebrated "Senior Night" with a 3-0 victory over Blind Brook. A pre-game ceremony under Butler Field’s new lights honored seniors Alexander Coeytaux, Cooper Cohen, Jack Porter, Sebastian Rhett, Esteban Rudloff, Adam Wasserman, and Michael Waxman. Co-captain Cohen, who tore his ACL over the summer, started off the game with a ceremonial first kick. The crowd’s cheers acknowledged Cohen's significant contributions to the team on and off the field for the past four years. Both teams played tough in a goalless first half, with junior co-captain Luke Peltz and junior Roman Tirabassi controlling Scarsdale’s midfield and Blind Brook's goalkeeper staving off several strong Raider attacks. Scarsdale’s defense remained solid in the second half as its offense asserted itself. With just 6 minutes remaining, Rafael Tassari scored the Raider’s first goal, a left-footed strike from 20-yards out. Rudloff quickly added two more goals to the lead, assisted by junior midfielder Eli Gelblum and co-captain-defender Adam Wasserman.
Photos by Jon Thaler. See more here.
Esteban Rudloff slides and scores to put Raiders up 2-0.
Cooper Cohen taking opening kick-off.
To All Whom Much Has Been Given, Much Is Required. Participate in SNAP for HOPE
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Scarsdale Neighborhood Association Presidents and all of the Scarsdale Neighborhood Associations invite you to participate in SNAP for HOPE, a six week of Village-wide holiday season service to provide baked goods, books and toys to HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle.
All Scarsdale residents are invited to assist HOPE (Help Our People Eat) Community Services. HOPE is the largest emergency Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen in our region. They need 1,600 baked items every week to provide to their client population, especially families and the elderly, as well as used books and new toys. SNAP’s goal is for Scarsdale to meet HOPE’s full 1,600 item need every week for the six consecutive weeks from Thanksgiving to the New Year plus donate much needed books and toys.
Scarsdale residents can sign up for as many slots as they are able to bake, collect used books and/or collect and new toys every week, from November 23 to December 28, with a minimum of 25 baking volunteers/families per week (no max!). Delivery of items will be to volunteer leads in Scarsdale each week, any day and any time up until Mondays at 2pm. All deliveries to HOPE will be Mondays from 3:30-4pm, by leads or volunteer families may also deliver their items personally to HOPE.
There are options for EVERYONE in Scarsdale to contribute - young, old and in between. Sign up to participate on Google Sheets here: (Note there are three tabs for pages at the bottom of the doc.)
There are three ways to participate:
-Bake
-Collect Used Books
-Collect New Toys
Sign up for slot(s) to bake and individually wrap 65 baked items during one week.
They need a minimum of 25 volunteers per week. Great for folks who like to bake!
Have fun, be festive! Sign up for slot(s) to collect (and deliver) used or new books over the course of one week.
Call friends, family members, local libraries, etc.
Sign up for slot(s) to collect and deliver new toys over the course of one week.
Special thanks to the corporate volunteers who will be baking for HOPE:
Questions? Email SnapPres10583@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How many baked items should I bake?
Each “baker” – individual, family, group, etc, that commits to a baking slot commits to baking 65 individually wrapped and non-perishable baked items. You can sign up for as many slots as you would like!
2. What safety measures should we follow when baking?
Bakers should take the routine COVID safety precautions of wearing masks and gloves.
3. How does the weekly schedule work?
Bakers and collectors do their baking/collecting Tuesday-Sunday of any given week. Monday is “delivery day” – on Mondays, bakers and collectors can choose to deliver their items to HOPE directly or to one of the “Week Leads” who will then deliver to HOPE. If you cannot drive, please contact SNAPPres10583@gmail.com to arrange a pick up.
*All items must be delivered to a Week Lead before 2pm on Mondays.
*Deliveries to HOPE directly are 3:30-4pm on Mondays.
4. How do my baked items, books and/or toys get from me to HOPE?
There are two options: You can deliver them yourself or deliver to one of our Scarsdale Week Leads – who will then deliver all of the items. You must elect one of the options on the Google Sign Up Sheets.
5. What types of books does HOPE need?
Mostly books for children – preschool age through Middle/High School. Workbooks, school books, board books, story books, whatever you have!
6. I have gently used toys – can I donate those?
No, sorry, only new toys.
7. I have a question – who do I contact?
Email SNAPPres10583@gmail.com
The Surprising History of Scarsdale's Black Community
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With the issue of race in the forefront, Scarsdale attorney, teacher and historian Jordan Copeland has produced a fascinating video highlighting his research on the Black community in Scarsdale, from slavery to the modern era. Originally delivered as a public cosponsored by the Scarsdale Forum, Scarsdale Public Library, and Scarsdale Historical Society, the video is posted on YouTube and can be viewed here:
The research includes historic photos, documents, maps, newspaper articles and live interviews with the descendants of Scarsdale’s first black residents Black people who grew up in Scarsdale from the 1950’s to 80’s. They paint a portrait of a strong Black community which has been an important part of Scarsdale but has not always been fully accepted.
He begins with the story of Scarsdale’s earliest Black residents who were two thirds of Scarsdale’s population in 1712. In fact, Thomas Hadden, the first owner of what is now Wayside Cottage and 150 acres of land, had three children with his wife and another five with his slave or “wench Rose” who he provided for in his will at the time of his death in 1762.
As evidence, Copeland shows a set of murals that is still displayed in the Scarsdale Post Office that depicts the formation of Scarsdale in 1701 when Caleb Heathcote bought the land from the widow Richbell. The mural includes one slave tending to a horse.
Though discrimination was not unusual throughout Village history, Black children were permitted to attend school with their white peers, which was highly unusual. He shows several school photographs, including a one room Quaker School in the 1890 and another of the students of the Griffin School in the 1920’s. Both pictures show both white and black children and adults in attendance at school and the building that housed the Griffin School remains today on the grounds of the Quaker Ridge Golf Club.
By the 1930’s, Scarsdale’s Black population had grown to 482, but many were living in white households as maids, butlers and chauffeurs.
One of neighboring Edgemont’s first Black homeowners ended up in court. Joshua Cockburn, a wealthy steamship captain purchased a tract of land in what was known as “Edgemont Hills.” He built a Tudor style home there in 1937 but was sued because the covenant on the land barred black homeowners. A neighbor feared that Black families would harm their own real estate values. Cockburn was defended in court by Thurgood Marshall but lost the case. Despite the defeat he remained in the home because the decision was not enforced.
Copeland shows that Blacks did not significantly participate in Scarsdale’s transition from an agrarian to a suburban community. Even as late as the 1960’s, Blacks met discrimination when attempting to purchase homes in Scarsdale.
Copeland includes an interview with Joretta Evans Crabbe who shared what happened when her parents tried to buy a home in Scarsdale in 1969. They went into contract to purchase a home in Heathcote without meeting the current owners face to face. When the sellers realized that the buyers were Black, the homeowner called Crabbe’s father and asked him to back out of the deal. He said, “My wife is threatening to kill herself and pull up all the plants if we sell it to a Black family.” He then offered the buyers $10,000 on a $40,000 house to back off, but her parents refused.
Black and White Students at school in the 1890's
This is just one of the scores of revealing stories that Copeland elicited in his hours of interviews with current and former black residents of Scarsdale.
Here are a few quotes from others who shared what it was like to grow up in Scarsdale.
"We had wonderful friends who were white – but we were “other.”
“I didn’t go to my prom because there was no one to invite me.”
“I had to work twice as hard to be half as good.”
“What was hard, was not coming from a family with money.”
Some of the listeners who posed questions to Copeland during his presentation hosted by the Scarsdale Forum asked if he would seek changes based on his findings. One wanted to know if streets like Cornell and Griffin that were named after slaveholders should be changed. Another asked if the mural at the post office should be taken down. Copeland made it clear that his purpose for now was to uncover Scarsdale’s history rather than to proscribe change.
Copeland is continuing his research and welcomes input. He has set up a discussion and avenues for people to learn more, take action, and support each other. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
