Getting nourishing food to the community requires a robust infrastructure and a high degree of coordination. We secure food and donations from national food and grocery manufacturers, retailers, shippers, packers, and growers, and from government agencies and other entities.
The food we safely recover doesn’t just change lives — it saves food from becoming waste, diverting millions of pounds from landfills.
Across Westchester, we feed 80,000 children in need each month. Through partnerships with local schools, daycares, libraries, and other organizations children receive nutritious, kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare food, when otherwise they may go without.
Children are able to receive food through our child-feeding bags, school pantries, and our Mobile Food Pantry. Through these distributions, children and families are able to receive nutritious food items that are right for them, and avoid any gaps in meals.
With the help of committed supporters like you, and the partnership of our dedicated community partners and meal programs, nearly 40 percent of the food we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables.
Our Fresh Markets provide seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables directly to communities across Westchester.
Green Thumb mobilizes devoted volunteers to pack bags full of fresh, seasonal produce for delivery to community partners and meal programs every week.
Through a combination of improved food access, targeted clinical care, and other community resources, the Food is Medicine program helps eliminate some of the barriers to improved health and well-being. The program is a collaborative project involving healthcare facilities including hospitals and clinics.
This specialized 26-foot refrigerated truck brings a “market on wheels” to underserved communities so that fresh, nutritious foods can be delivered directly to those who need it. View our Mobile Food Pantry Schedule here.
For low-income families, eating healthy can be incredibly challenging. Many lack the time and tools to find and prepare healthy foods — or the cost of healthy groceries is simply out of reach. Our nutritionists offer resources, demonstrations, and education to inform and shape a lifetime of healthier eating, even on a limited budget.
The Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables (JSY) program provides low-income families with practical, cost-effective tips for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Our licensed nutritionists work directly with our community partners and meal programs to provide hands-on nutrition education workshops, cooking demonstrations, USDA-approved recipes, and more. View our nutrition education videos.
We work with our community partners and meal programs on food safety guidance to keep our neighbors healthy and safe, and the programs certified and compliant.
Feeding Westchester’s Nutrition Education program is partially funded through the generous support of the friends and family of Eve Hartman, in her memory. In her life, Eve was passionate about health, education, and nutrition. She was an active member of the Feeding Westchester community.
Our Senior Grocery Program encourages better health and promotes independent living for seniors and neighbors with disabilities by bringing fresh produce and other food directly to where they live or gather.
Feeding Westchester provides information to Westchester residents about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, originally food stamps) and has a full-time coordinator who makes home visits to seniors and the disabled to assist them in the screening and application process.
For those who may already be overwhelmed by their circumstances, the assistance provided by Feeding Westchester makes it possible for them to preserve their dignity and independence. Besides helping to provide food dollars for SNAP beneficiaries, the program has additional benefits.
In places where SNAP enrollment has increased, it has become a means of local economic growth, bringing millions of dollars each year into the local economy. The money helps to sustain communities, grocery stores, and local food retailers.
You can use USDA’s MyPlate website to find Westchester stores that accept SNAP EBT near you.
Our individual supporters, community, corporate, and foundation partners are integral to alleviating hunger throughout Westchester. Through financial support, food donations, and grants, your support makes a direct impact within the community.
We are at the heart of a network that expertly sources and distributes food and resources to feed children, seniors, and families throughout Westchester.
Feeding Westchester is an independent, registered nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
