September is Hunger Action Month, Feeding America’s nationwide call to fight hunger, and this year’s theme says it plainly: Assembly Required.
Hunger in Westchester is not solved by one organization, one donation, or one volunteer shift. It is solved the way anything worth building gets solved, with a lot of hands and a shared set of instructions. 41% Westchester households are at risk of hunger, and many of them are working full-time and still coming up short at the grocery store.
Here is how you can help build the solution this month.
Double Your Donation
Every gift to Feeding Westchester in September will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, thanks to a generous match offer from longtime supporter Debbie Newman Bernstein.
Together, we can reach our $100,000 Hunger Action Month Match goal and help provide more nutritious food to neighbors across Westchester.
Donate now and your impact doubles automatically.
Take Part in the Westchester County Food Drive
Feeding Westchester is partnering with Westchester County on a countywide food drive throughout September. Whether you are dropping off a few shelf-stable items on your way home or organizing a collection at your office, school, or place of worship, it adds up fast.
See most-needed items and drop-off locations
Go Orange
Orange is the color of the movement to end hunger, and visibility matters. When people see hunger talked about openly, more neighbors feel comfortable seeking support, and more people learn there is help nearby.
Here is how to show up:
Watch for the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge lit orange on Thursday, September 10, a hard one to miss for anyone crossing that evening.
Shop to Support
Throughout September, participating Westchester businesses are donating a portion of their sales to fight hunger in our community. Ordering a pizza, taking a yoga class, running the car through the wash. Everyday purchases, real meals for neighbors.
Shop To Support Participating Retailers
Volunteer Your Time
Volunteers are the reason food moves from our distribution center to the tables of the neighbors who need it. There is a role for nearly everyone.
On Friday, September 11, Volunteer New York! and Monroe University are bringing 250 volunteers together in New Rochelle to pack 50,000 meals as part of 9/11 Serve + Remember. College students, community members, and government leaders, all in one room, all doing the same work. That is what Assembly Required looks like.
Make Your Voice Heard
Policy shapes how many neighbors can put food on the table, and decision-makers pay attention when they hear from constituents. Visit our Advocacy page and sign up for Action Alerts so you know when your voice can make a difference.
On Tuesday, September 29, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins will issue a proclamation officially recognizing Hunger Action Day in Westchester County.
Join Us at a Hunger Action Month Event
Thursday, September 24: Comics for a Cause
An evening of comedy benefiting Feeding Westchester, presented by the Giving Circle of Lower Westchester. Get tickets
Tuesday, September 29: Food As Medicine Panel
Hosted at Feeding Westchester and sponsored by White Plains Hospital, this conversation explores the connection between nutrition and health outcomes, with panelists from Northwell Health, White Plains Hospital, Westchester Community Health Center, and Feeding Westchester. RSVP
Thank You to Our Hunger Action Month Partners
None of this happens alone. Our thanks to Debbie Newman Bernstein, Westchester County, The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester, Volunteer New York!, Monroe University, White Plains Hospital, and the Westchester restaurants and retailers standing with us this September.
Pick One Thing
You do not have to do all of it. Give, volunteer, drop off groceries, wear orange, speak up. Choose the piece that fits your life and your schedule, and know that it connects to everything else being built around it.
Assembly required. Let’s get to work.
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Find the press release here.
