Feeding Westchester

Advocacy can make a difference

Join our movement to fight hunger in Westchester County. With your voice, we can make a difference as we advocate for programs that relieve hunger today, and provide the fundamental resources to build a better tomorrow.
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Lend your voice to raise awareness

Together, we raise awareness about hunger, advocate for policies and programs that support food security, and support our neighbors in need of food. Stay informed and join our advocacy efforts by signing up for Action Alerts.

Take a stance, make your voice heard

Legislators need to hear the message loud and clear: no one should go hungry.

Together, we can change our community

With a united voice—individuals, businesses, organizations, and community groups—we can grow support for a hunger-free Westchester.

Meet our collaborators

Know the Issues

These are the local, state, and federal programs and policies we advocate for in the fight against hunger.

Strengthen Federal Nutrition Programs

Enhance SNAP Benefits

Calculate SNAP monthly benefits based on the USDA’s Low-Cost Food Plan instead of the Thrifty Food Plan, increasing SNAP benefits by an average of $125 monthly per household.

Allow all SNAP participants to purchase hot food and prepared meals with their benefits.

Expand Access & Eliminate Barriers to SNAP

Eliminate existing barriers to participation in SNAP for seniors, college students, able-bodied childless adults, immigrants, and individuals with prior convictions.

Eliminate asset limits and arbitrary eligibility limits for participation in SNAP.

Invest in the Health & Wellbeing of our Communities

Guarantee school breakfast, lunch, after school and summer meals for all children nationwide.

Provide adequate funding to ensure all eligible households can participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Fund the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Increase federal investments in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in response to the unprecedented demand for hunger relief.

Fully fund food banks’ shelf-stable and cold storage infrastructure, transportation, and distribution capacity through TEFAP’s Administrative Grants account.

Increase the availability of culturally relevant foods, including halal and kosher, through TEFAP.

Visit Feeding NYS for more information or click here to see our shared Farm Bill priorities.

Fund The Hunger Prevention And Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) At $64m

New York’s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) supports food banks, food pantries, emergency shelters, and other community-based organizations by providing funding for healthy food procurement, operational expenses, transportation, and distribution.

Support Nourish New York (NNY) At $75m

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state lawmakers stepped up by creating Nourish New York (NNY), a nationally recognized program that connects hungry families with healthy food. NNY provides funding to food banks and food relief organizations to purchase directly from New York-based farmers and producers.

Since its inception, over $150 million has been allocated to the program – to the benefit of over 4,000 New York-based farmers, food hubs, and other businesses. Nourish New York equips emergency food providers with healthy food including fruits, vegetables, dairy, and proteins while enhancing the availability of halal, kosher, and culturally relevant food options.

Maintain Funding For The Nutrition Outreach And Education Program (NOEP)

Nearly 3 million New Yorkers participate in SNAP. The Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) helps ensure all eligible New Yorkers are aware of and able to participate in federal nutrition programs including but not limited to SNAP, WIC, CACFP, and school meals.

Support Universal School Meals (A.1941 / S.1678)

No child should ever go hungry. Providing universal school meals would feed our children, reduce bullying, and have a positive impact on children’s academic achievement and health. While the State provided $134.6 million in funding to supplement the expiration of federal aid, free and reduced lunches are still not accessible to all children across the state.

Raise the SNAP Minimum Benefit to $100/Mo (A.6214 / S. 7663)

The current SNAP minimum benefit of $23 a month is inadequate for low-income New Yorkers. Amounting to less than a dollar a day, the SNAP minimum benefit fails to account for New York’s true cost of living.

Support The Working Families Tax Credit (A.4022 / S.277)

The Working Families Tax Credit would lift New York children out of poverty by providing families with a tax credit of $1,500 per child, paid out on a quarterly basis. The proposal is modeled off the 2021 federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion, which cut child poverty rates by over 40%.

Unfortunately, when the expanded CTC expired in 2022, child poverty more than doubled according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The Working Families Tax Credit would reduce child poverty and help families afford their basic needs.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

Your voice has power

Sharing a story—your own experience with hunger, why you support hunger relief—can allow others to better understand, inspire them to get involved, and give hope to those currently struggling with hunger.

Let us know the impact that hunger—or hunger relief—has had on your life, the lives of your friends and family, and your community. Tell us how you use your voice to inspire others to be a changemaker. These stories help us educate the community, advocate for policies and hunger relief programs, and inspire neighbors to help neighbors.

Share your story if you have:

  • Needed emergency food or food assistance (including food pantries, meal programs, mobile pantries, or child nutrition programs)
  • Utilized nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC, senior assistance, or child-feeding programs
  • Experience(d) difficulty accessing food or services near where you live
  • Had to choose between paying for food, medical care, rent, childcare, or other necessities
  • A story of someone you love who has struggled with hunger
  • Donated to or supported our mission, and want to inspire others to do the same
  • Experience volunteering with Feeding Westchester or another local community partner or meal program
Tell us your story by name or share anonymously
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I understand that Feeding Westchester may highlight and share my story in any of their materials, through social media, or with the public. This could include being used for fundraising purposes. By uploading a photo, you allow Feeding Westchester to use it for the aforementioned purposes.

Take Action

Joining an advocacy coalition is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting change in our communities. When we come together to address issues like food insecurity, our collective voice becomes stronger. By working together, we can amplify our impact, influence policymakers, and ensure that everyone’s needs are heard. Coalitions offer valuable opportunities to share resources, learn from diverse perspectives, and work toward common goals that help build a hunger-free future. Your involvement can make all the difference—together, we can fight hunger and advocate for sustainable solutions that create healthier, thriving communities.
  • Healthy School Meals for All: Here is the link to join the HSMFA coalition.
  • Housing Access Voucher Program: Linked here is some information on the Housing Access Voucher Program. 
  • One Fair Wage: Linked here is an organizational sign-on letter in support of NYS legislation to phase out subminimum wages for tipped workers. Through the form, you can also indicate your interest in joining the OFW coalition.
  • Coverage4All: Linked here is more information on the Coverage4All initiative, which seeks to provide health insurance coverage for New Yorkers excluded from the Essential Plan on the basis of their immigration status.
  • Gate Money Campaign: Linked here is some more information on the initiative, which seeks to provide increased and sustained support for New Yorkers transitioning to society after a period of incarceration.

Together, we feed for a better tomorrow

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