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Raise your voice in the fight against hunger

In Westchester, 41% of households are unable to afford the basic cost of living—including food. Together, we can advance practical policies that strengthen food access today and help every neighbor build a more secure tomorrow.

Make your voice heard

Lawmakers need to hear from the communities their decisions affect. Learn about the issues, share your experience, and take action for policies that help every neighbor access the food they need.

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

Explore the programs and priorities that drive our advocacy to end hunger across Westchester County and beyond.

  • The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 
    • Strengthen TEFAP  in the next farm bill by increasing funding for TEFAP food purchases by $500 million per year, adjusted to inflation, to meet the rising demand for food assistance.   
    • Increase the authorization for discretionary funding for TEFAP storage and distribution to $200 million per year to help food banks and other assistance organizations expand their reach, subject to appropriation. 
    • Increase the availability of culturally relevant foods, including halal and kosher, through TEFAP. 
  • Enhance, Expand SNAP Benefits & Eliminate Barriers 
    • Delay the SNAP benefit cost shift for all states so they have the time needed to stabilize operations, improve accuracy, avoid state tax increases or deep budget cuts. 
    • Congress should ensure SNAP purchasing power remains strong so that benefits align with grocery prices and provide adequate support during tough economic times. 
    • H.R. 2512 Hot Foods Act- which allows SNAP participants to purchase hot food and prepared meals with their benefits. 
    • H.R. 3117 / S. 1540  Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025- which requires states to replace 100% of snap benefits stolen through card skimming and similar fraud. 
  • 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). 

The final FY27 New York State Budget included significant investments in State Nutrition programs. While we celebrate these investments, we continue to advocate for a New York where no neighbor goes hungry.  

    • HPNAP was funded at $72.8M: This provides a $15M increase across the state to emergency food providers to continue to purchase nutritious foods as demand rises. 
    • NNY was funded at $55M: This program received sustained funding in this year’s budget.  
      • In the past three years, FW has distributed over 9M pounds of HPNAP foods and in the last four years FW has distributed 8M pounds of NNY foods. 
    • NOEP was funded at $8.738M: This supports New York’s network of SNAP navigators, with some of the programs federal funding sunsetting in October 2026, this additional $3.1M will sustain the program in New York.  
      • Feeding Westchester receives $75k in NOEP funding to continue to assist our neighbors in navigating and applying for SNAP benefits. In 2024, Feeding Westchester assisted 600 households with SNAP enrollment. 
    • Funding to transition EBT cards to chip-based technology was secured, which will help protect New Yorkers’ benefits from skimming and theft.  
    • NYPLATES was funded at $10M: This is a statewide grant program established by the state to combat food insecurity. It provides capital grants to eligible food pantries to build or upgrade their capacity to safely store, transport, and distribute food to families in need. 

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
Upload an image:

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.
  • Join us in the fight against hunger by signing up for Feeding Westchester Advocacy Alerts.
  • 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

Corporate Support

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Stay connected

Learn how you can take action in the fight against hunger. Join our mailing list. You’ll receive stories about the people your support helps, the people who help, and other ways you can make an impact and use your voice.

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