Every meal distributed through Feeding Westchester begins long before food reaches a pantry or a family’s table. Behind the scenes, staff, community partners, drivers, and volunteers work together to help ensure food reaches the people who need it most. As of April 29, Cora Rose has been part of making that happen for 17 years.
Over those 17 years, Cora has helped coordinate the movement of food across Westchester County, working closely with community partners, drivers, distribution center teams, and colleagues across departments to help ensure neighbors have access to the food they need.
Her journey to Feeding Westchester began unexpectedly. While working at Macy’s, a coworker recognized her dedication and encouraged her to apply for a position at the organization. She took the opportunity, interviewed for the role, and accepted a job offer that would ultimately become a lifelong calling.
Seventeen years later, she is still driven by the same purpose: helping people.
“There is a family who will have a meal tonight, and I had a part in that,” Cora said. “Whether it was entering an order, reviewing it, building the runs, or getting it on the truck, whatever part I played, that means everything to me.”
No two days in agency logistics look the same. Some mornings begin before sunrise, when delivery routes need to be adjusted. Others involve coordinating inventory, troubleshooting orders, communicating with community partners, and working with distribution center staff to help keep deliveries on schedule.
The work requires constant collaboration. Nearly every Feeding Westchester program touches Cora’s desk in some way, from senior grocery distributions and school-based programs to home delivery initiatives and pantry orders. Every successful delivery depends on communication across teams and strong coordination with community partners.
“People don’t always realize how many moving pieces and how much coordination it takes to make all of this work,” she said.
Over the years, Cora has seen Feeding Westchester grow alongside the need in the community. When she joined the organization in 2009, Feeding Westchester distributed between four and seven million pounds of food annually. Today, that number has grown significantly.
That growth reflects more than an increase in food distribution. It represents expanded programs, stronger partnerships, and a continued commitment to meeting neighbors where they are. Beyond providing food, Feeding Westchester works alongside partners to connect people with additional resources, including housing, healthcare, and other support services.
For Cora, one of the most inspiring parts of the work is seeing how people come together when challenges arise. Whether it is drivers taking extra routes, distribution center staff adjusting schedules, or team members stepping in to solve unexpected problems, she has seen firsthand how collaboration makes the mission possible.
“No matter what the challenge is, the team really comes together to make it work,” she said.
That spirit of teamwork extends beyond Feeding Westchester’s walls. Community partners, donors, volunteers, and supporters all play a role in helping food reach neighbors across the county. Hunger relief is not the work of one person or one department. It is the result of an entire community working together.
As the need for food assistance continues, Cora remains focused on what motivates her most: the people behind every order and every delivery. Families, seniors, children, and individuals facing difficult circumstances are at the center of the work she does each day.
Reflecting on 17 years with Feeding Westchester, Cora is humbled by the impact she has helped make possible.
“It warms my heart to know that I’ve been able to contribute in such a meaningful way to my community,” she said.
Her story is a reminder that hunger relief is about more than moving food from one place to another. It is about people showing up for one another. It is about teamwork, compassion, and community.
When neighbors support neighbors, every delivery becomes more than a box of food. It becomes a reminder that no one should have to face hunger alone.
