In New Rochelle’s Glenwood Lake neighborhood, community is more than a word. It is people showing up, stepping in, and working together to support their neighbors in meaningful ways.
Glenwood Lake residents manage their stewardship of the lake, neighborhood hospitality and safety programs, and local government advocacy through two sister organizations: Glenwood Lake Association and Friends of Glenwood Lake Park. This holiday season, the neighborhood directed its energy to nourish neighbors through a creative, community-wide food drive benefitting Feeding Westchester. What began as a simple idea quickly turned into something much bigger.
The neighborhood organized a drive that offered three ways to give:
a traditional nonperishable food collection,
a virtual #GiveHealthy drive, and
an online fundraiser for monetary donations.
It was the first time a partner group used all three options together for a single effort.
At first, the fundraising goal was set at $500. But as donations started coming in, it became clear that the Glenwood Lake community was ready to do more. The goal was raised to $750, then $1,000, and finally $1,500 as neighbors continued to give.
By the end of the drive, the impact was remarkable:
246 pounds of food collected through the neighborhood drive
299 pounds of food donated through the #GiveHealthy virtual drive
545 pounds of food in total, helping to provide an estimated 454 meals
$1,617 in monetary donations, helping to provide an estimated 3,234 meals
All together, the Glenwood Lake effort helped provide 3,688 meals for neighbors across Westchester.
As Mia Baudry, President of Friends of Glenwood Lake Park put it, “we are a small but mighty crew. Our work is centered around community-driven initiatives aimed at fostering engagement, inclusivity and stewardship, but our community cannot truly flourish when one in three households in Westchester are at risk of hunger.”
Volunteers and neighbors helped spread the word–through email, newsletter, Facebook, and group chats—that the drive was about more than numbers. Their message to the neighborhood was simple: join us in nourishing our neighbors in the fight against hunger. Their dedication, creativity, and persistence turned one idea into thousands of meals, proving what is possible when local leaders and neighbors come together for a cause.
Feeding Westchester is deeply grateful to Glenwood Lake, and every neighbor who gave, shared, and encouraged others to get involved. Their example shows that when a community unites around hunger relief, real change happens — one meal, one family, and one neighborhood at a time.
