For the second year, the Business Council of Westchester and Feeding Westchester partnered to host the Westchester State delegation for a discussion on Community Hunger & Upcoming state budget priorities.
Last year, we gathered to advocate for increased funding for state nutrition programs (HPNAP & NNY) and the implementation of Universal School Meals. As a result, we saw the historic implementation of Universal School Meals which offers free breakfast and lunch to students k-12 across the state regardless of household income. This is a huge victory for families and children across the state, and we’re thankful to the Westchester Delegation and Governor Kathy Hochul for making New York a leader in this effort.
This year, despite ongoing challenges, including a $4 million reduction in federal funding, Feeding Westchester continues to work towards meeting the rising demand. In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), we distributed 21.1 million pounds of food alongside our network of 175 partners, a remarkable feat despite setbacks.
The demand for food assistance is not just growing but rapidly increasing. Daniel Bonnet from the Carver Center in Port Chester shared how the community’s needs have increased exponentially since the pandemic.
“We’ve gone from serving 136 households before COVID to 4,152 households today,” he said. The shift to a “client-choice” model has made a significant difference, allowing families to select the food they need, which provides dignity in the process and helps reduce food waste. The “client choice” model is made possible because of programs like the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and Nourish New York (NNY).
These state nutrition programs are cornerstones that ensure millions of New Yorkers can access healthy food through a network of emergency food providers like Feeding Westchester and the Carver Center of Port Chester.
Yet, as hunger levels continue to rise, and operational barriers persist, these programs require both increased funding and administrative modernization to remain effective.
Alyssa Harrynanan, Advocacy Coordinator for Feeding New York State, echoed this urgency, highlighting how critical it is to secure more funding to meet the growing need. “Food security is foundational to everything else,” Alyssa noted, urging continued pressure for increased funding, especially as we navigate the post-pandemic landscape.
The importance of funding also resonated with Elvis Santana from the Food Bank for New York City, who emphasized the necessity of state investment. “State funding is essential for us to continue providing these services,” he said, underscoring how programs like HPNAP and Nourish New York help keep food pantries open. Without these resources, many pantries across the state would not be able to meet the increasing demand.
As we look ahead, Tami, Feeding Westchester’s Chief Operating Officer, concluded by reinforcing the commitment of Feeding Westchester to meet the needs of our community. “We’re ready to show up for our neighbors, but we need continued support to ensure we can keep feeding everyone who comes to our network.”
The work continues, but with the ongoing support of our elected officials, partners, and community members, we are confident that we can rise to the challenge and ensure no one in Westchester goes hungry.
