Local Community is Encouraged to Help Provide 2,000 Holiday Meals to Feed Families this Holiday Season Now Through December 31
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (November 1, 2017) – As the temperatures continue to drop and the holiday season comes knocking on our doors, Food Bank for Westchester has launched its 2nd annual “Feed a Family” campaign, which calls on the community to help feed their neighbors who are hungry. As part of this campaign, a press conference was held in White Plains today to encourage the community to participate in the initiative. One donation of $25 will buy a holiday meal for a family and the campaign’s goal is to provide 2,000 holiday meals for families in need from now through December 31.
Last year, Food Bank for Westchester re-invented its annual turkey distributions for Thanksgiving and launched this campaign to help residents during the entire holiday season. Today’s announcement took place at White Plains Public Library, one of Food Bank for Westchester’s mobile food pantry sites.
“The feeling of running on empty is a reality for one in five of our Westchester residents. We need to make sure that no child, adult or senior in the county ever runs on empty, so for November through December, we are asking everyone to come together to help end hunger,” said Leslie Gordon, President and CEO of Food Bank for Westchester. “Everyone deserves a nutritious meal this holiday season, and together with the community’s support, we can help ‘feed families.’”
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and White Plains Mayor Tom Roach joined Gordon at the event today with community supporters and representatives from partner agencies. They all joined in handing out turkeys, chickens and other holiday meal ingredients to more than 100 individuals in need.
“The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those who struggle to put enough food on the table,” Astorino said. “But together, we can and will make sure families have an opportunity to gather around a holiday meal and create lasting memories.”
The Food Bank for Westchester operates the county’s largest food collection and emergency distribution network, helping to feed and supply for its 300 front line hunger-relief programs throughout Westchester which include food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. According to Gordon, no contribution is too small for the “Feed a Family” campaign. Local residents, business leaders and organizations can come together to donate, whether it’s $25 to feed one household or family, or $500 to feed 20 households or families.
The following provides ways for everyone to help their neighbors who are hungry this holiday season:
Advocate, Educate, Volunteer and Donate to “Feed a Family”
Take the pledge to help feed a family for the holidays. Food Bank for Westchester is encouraging local businesses, organizations, individuals, and groups to join its “Feed a Family” campaign. The following are some ideas to get county residents started:
- Start your own Facebook Fundraiser – have employees donate or create their own challenge amongst different departments to see who can raise the most
- Raise awareness by hanging Feed a Family/Food Bank flyers and signage
- Spread the word on social media by taking the “empty plate” challenge
- Start a Food and Fund drive in the office. Food Bank for Westchester can provide food bins and arrange for pick up. Ask employees to donate items from our most needed items list.
Get Involved with Check-Out Hunger
Each year, select grocery stores and other food retailers throughout Westchester County participate in Check-Out Hunger®, a point of sale campaign running through December 31 that benefits over forty Feeding America Food Banks and affiliates. The Food Bank for Westchester is proud and grateful to be a beneficiary of this campaign. Now through January, the Food Bank for Westchester invites shoppers to “Check Out Hunger” by visiting participating stores and making a donation at the cash register.
Form a Team for the Community Scoop-A-Thon
Are you a local community organization, small business, or school group? Join Food Bank for Westchester to help feed hungry neighbors this holiday season. On #GivingTuesday, a global giving movement, Food Bank for Westchester will be hosting it’s first-ever Community Scoop-A-Thon competition. This event will be an exciting and intense experience where community teams compete to pack the most food in one hour. The team that packs the most food in an hour will be deemed the “Community Scoop-a-Thon Champion” and receive tickets to Food Bank for Westchester’s Hunger Heroes Awards breakfast. Entrance fee: $100 fundraising requirement per person or $1,000 per team (up to 10 individuals).
To learn more about all of these opportunities, visit foodbankforwestchester.org.
About Food Bank for Westchester
For over 29 years, Food Bank for Westchester has led the fight against hunger in Westchester County, serving 300 frontline programs that provide food directly to the 200,000 county residents who are hungry or food insecure. Food Bank for Westchester supplies 95 percent of all food distributed annually across the region’s food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and daycare and residential programs – delivering over 8.4 million pounds of food and 7.5 million meals to people. Food Bank for Westchester’s collaboration with major retailers and corporations, and its expertise in food procurement, storage, and distribution, turns every monetary donation into fresh food provided for our community.
This press release was supplied to IntoxiKate.com.
Photo provided by Food Bank for Westchester.
