• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • Home
  • Advertise
    • Advertise in One or All of our Magazines
    • Advertising Payment Form
  • Print Subscription
  • Digital Subscription
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Login
  • Contact Us

Feeding Westchester

Good Will, Volunteerism and Community Donations at the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

April 2, 2021 by Rich Monetti

Save the Date for a May 1 ‘NO SHOW GALA’ Celebrating 30 Years

The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry has been assisting families since 1991, and can probably count thousands of volunteers and donors to their credit. However, the nonprofit only began holding an annual fundraiser three years ago. That said, the event isn’t just about bringing in money. “It’s an opportunity to engage with some of our supporters and have a touch point with them,” said President Kelley Housman. 

Unfortunately, Covid prevented the spring gathering last year and now this year. So not wanting to completely let the annual connection go, the pantry is going virtual to celebrate their 30th anniversary and holding a “No Show Gala” on May 1. “I’m going to appreciate a night in and think about the good work that the Mt Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry does,” posed Housman. “So instead of buying a ticket, I’m going to make a donation.”

Nonetheless, the story began when the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco and Temple Shaaray Tefila saw a specific need in the community. “People would come out of the hospital,” said Housman, “and sometimes they would need assistance.” The helping nudge became a push, and the pantry was soon serving eight families. Of course, the story is often the same. “Imagine you’re making choices between feeding your family well or feeding them minimally so you can pay your rent,” said Housman. A year later, nine area congregations joined in and 40 families were on the menu. As a result, the business soon added fundraising, and the nonprofit began purchasing subsidized staples from Feeding Westchester. Of course, the bumps in America’s road always sends the pantry’s efforts on the incline. For instance, the 2008 financial crises saw a deep increase in demand. But the pantry always perseveres at the United Methodist Church of Mt. Kisco, and the (almost) all volunteer nonprofit served healthy food to 68,000 people last year.

Food insecurity doesn’t care about the numbers, though. “We just never know how quickly circumstances can change,” Housman said, and first time seeking help can have people biting down hard. 

The fear of being judged is the primary mouthful. ‘Nancy’ of Mt Kisco can attest from her initial visit in 2012. A student trying to feed her family, she said, “I felt kind of embarrassed.”

Imagine you’re making choices between feeding your family well or feeding them minimally so you can pay your rent.

On the other hand, any apprehension really has no recourse but to abate. “The volunteers don’t judge and are always there to help,” said the medical assistant.

Housman encourages struggling families to take the first step, but the sentiment doesn’t just come by way of common courtesy. “We create a shopping experience for our clients, where they come in and make selections based on their personal preferences and dietary needs,” she said. “It’s a much better interaction than just handing over a bag of prepackaged food.”

Unfortunately, Covid protocols have forced the process into a less personal experience. Initially clients drove by for pickups, but downtown Mt Kisco wasn’t conducive. So the pantry got creative. Aside from upping home delivery service, families scan in and more rooms at the church are utilized so foot traffic doesn’t overlap. They have also created ‘“Covid pods” so volunteering families stay in the same distribution rooms.   

The pantry can’t contain the goodwill, though, and it includes a long roster of local businesses, community organizations, grocery stores and individuals. As the demand has skyrocketed with Covid, Housman is forever grateful for all those who have embraced the mission. 

But nothing is better than when the mission embraces the people and comes full circle. “We have a number of clients who have volunteered and even become board members,” Housman beamed. 

Area Youth & Creative Volunteers

“We have area youth too who have come up with incredibly creative fundraising strategies.” One group writes poems for donations, another local kid donates proceeds from his own ice cream product and scouting groups have long been doing their share. But receiving also can require emotional support, and two local girls have been on top of it since last summer. They anonymously drop off handmade cards and include notes of hope and inspiration.

Right into the prepackaged bags, the feeling is mutual for clients–and Nancy doesn’t hesitate to express it: “Thank you for all your help, we are blessed.” 

For more info on the May 1 No Show Gala, visit  www.mountkiscofoodpantry.org

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Feeding Westchester, Food Insecurity, Kelley Housman, Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, No Show Gala

Loving Learning (Chappaqua)

August 24, 2019 by Stacey Pfeffer

By the time this magazine reaches you if you have kids in the school system, you’ll probably know their teachers, classmates and bus schedule for fall. My biggest wish for my kids at school this year besides an easier bedtime routine is that their teachers inspire them for a lifetime of loving learning. We all know that learning doesn’t stop with a diploma from our highly rated high schools or a prestigious graduate program. As Albert Einstein once said “once you stop learning, you start dying.”  And I agree wholeheartedly so be sure to check out the article on  Chappaqua’s Continuing Education Program and find a class that suits your interest. There’s truly something for everyone.

One of the best parts of my job is that I feel like I am constantly learning by reading articles submitted by our talented cadre of writers or by interviewing sources, there is always something new out there happening in our town.

I had the privilege of interviewing Jamie Petrone who is living with transverse myelopathy, a spinal cord injury and see first hand how robotics are helping her to walk again at the Burke Neurological Institute to coincide with September, Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. I also was humbled to reacquaint myself with the four young students in the district who grace our cover and have created innovative programs to honor their friend Scarlett Chwatko, who passed away from brain cancer this spring. After all, learning isn’t strictly about academics. It is also about kindness too and how our actions can help others in need.

Speaking of kindness, turn the page to read about the FoodieBus which also morphs into the the HELP (Healing, Educating, Liberating People) Bus through a partnership with Feeding Westchester, an organization with the mission of ending hunger in Westchester County.

May you enjoy the rest of summer and all of the bounty that fall brings,

P.S. I just had to share this Draw for Paws photo of my dog, Arlo created by a talented sixth grader at Bell, Jake Sheehy. Check out the Draws for Paws article on page 30.

Filed Under: In the Know Tagged With: Feeding Westchester, FoodieBus, help, Jamie Petrone, Learning, Scarlett Chwatko, Schedules, Spinal Cord Injury, Talented, Teachers, Wish

An Appetite for Generosity

March 8, 2019 by Sabra Staudenmaier

(L-R): (914) Cares 4th Annual Empty Bowls Committee, Dana Berk, Jodi Falbaum, Lisa Samkoff, Melissa Levine, Jillian Pohly, Jessica Reinmann, Mike Slomsky, Dawn Greenberg, Lena Cavanna, Doug Alpuche and Lauren Stern

(914) Cares Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Event Raises $120,000 to Fight Hunger in Westchester

On the cold Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, a warmth radiated from Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn. The smell of hearty food filled the air. A simple meal of soup, bread and hors d’oeuvres was being prepared in the kitchen. An abstract sculpture stood inside the entrance of this quaint venue. It was made of ceramic bowls and cans of soup, layered in rows that progressively narrowed from bottom to top, forming a tree. The tree symbolized the upcoming holiday season. The bowls were individually and uniquely hand-painted by members of the community. They were all empty; a reminder that many cannot afford to fill their bowls. The guests of the evening were there to support the Empty Bowls Westchester annual fundraiser to help the fight against hunger.

Throughout the restaurant, soup and bread stations were set up alongside additional displays of painted bowls. Signs explaining the work being done to end hunger sat beside more of the painted bowls. The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry displayed a sign saying, “We fed 41,791 people last year”. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester showed a sign informing, “We serve over 80,000 nutritious meals each year.” Hillside Food Outreach had a sign that shared, “We have over 300 volunteers that pack & deliver to our clients.”

Celebrities Help the Cause

Set aside from the main event, the Kittle House’s Tap room was lined with tables showcasing larger bowls that had been signed by celebrities who support this important cause. Celebrities who participated by donating signed bowls included Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, author and activist Cecile Richards, US golfing great Tom Watson, Bill and Hillary Clinton, author James Patterson, HQ Trivia Host Scott Rogowsky and Pinkalicious children’s author Victoria Kahn. These “Celebrity Bowls” were an important part of the fundraising effort. They were available to bid on in the evening’s highly anticipated silent auction.

Empty Bowls Westchester is a division of (914) Cares–an organization that supports local Westchester based non-profits that focus on basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. According to the Feeding Westchester (formerly known as the Westchester Food Bank), one in five residents of Westchester is food insecure, which means approximately 200,000 people are hungry or at risk for hunger. Each year, an Empty Bowls Committee is formed to run the local arm of the international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end hunger in our community.

Grant recipients (L-R): Kelly Housman, Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry; Susan Bretti, Community Center of Northern Westchester; Clare Murray, Community Center of Northern Westchester and Robin Karp, Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry

A Community Wide Effort

Beginning in the spring, (914) Cares Co-Founders Dawn Greenberg and Jessica Reinmann work with volunteers from the community who donate their time to hand paint bowls, one by one. Members from Congregation Sons of Israel Briarcliff, Pace University and Strauss Paper employees along with several Girl Scout troops are among those who helped paint bowls which, this year, totaled over 250. Once painted, A Maze in Pottery in Briarcliff Manor, a generous supporter of this cause, fires all the painted bowls in their kiln.

Local Grant Recipients Utilize Event’s Funds

Local organizations who are on the front lines in the fight against hunger apply to receive grants from the funds raised. This year six grant recipients were selected. These organizations were Bread of Life, The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, The Community Center of Northern Westchester, Hillside Food Outreach, The Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry of Pleasantville and The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

The recipients of this year’s grants were extremely appreciative for funding they received, but the community members who attended the fundraiser were just as thankful for the work the organizations do. Whether it’s through rescuing food so that it does not go to waste, delivering food to the sick or elderly, or running a food pantry year -round; through the grace of these organizations, the gap between those who are able to give and those who are in need is being bridged. The people who champion this cause maintain that they get more than they give from the work they do.

Ways to Get Involved

Empty Bowls Westchester and (914) Cares are always looking for the help of generous people. Whatever one can give is significant and makes a difference. Reinmann encourages the community to continue to support this cause by hosting a bowl painting party, becoming a sponsor or attending the next Empty Bowls Westchester event. Celebrity–signed bowls are always welcome donations for the silent auction portion of the fundraiser. There are many ways to get involved.

In Reinmann’s experience, people are very generous during the holiday season, but help often declines in January and February. The depth of winter, however, is when the need for help is the greatest. She encourages people to reach out to local food banks to find out what is needed and run a drive to raise those items accordingly.

The Empty Bowls event was a success but there is still much more work to be done. Since its inception, four years ago, Empty Bowls Westchester has raised almost half a million dollars. Greenberg and Reinmann aim to continue to support the growth of the program. They want to help create a community where basic fundamental needs are available to everyone. A place where poverty and hunger is not temporarily mended with a band aid but rather where the cycle of poverty is ended.

When the evening was over, every attendee received a hand-painted bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls in the world that still need to be filled and to inspire them to continue to support ending hunger. The ultimate goal, according to Reinmann, is “the day when (914) Cares is no longer needed, that will be the best day ever.”

For more information on how to support Empty Bowls Westchester, please visit 914cares.org

PHOTO BY SETH BERK

Some Really Super Bowls

Over the past four years, a number of very special bowls have been auctioned during the Empty Bowls silent auction. Artist in Residence and committee member, Melissa Levine, painted most of this year’s bowls that were sent to celebrities who volunteered to sign them to help raise money for this cause. A Maze in Pottery Briarcliff Manor’s Nancy Beard generously assisted by lending her artistic talent to paint some of the celebrity-signed bowls. For this year’s auction, comedian Jim Belushi did his own artwork on the bowl he signed and donated.

The bidding on celebrity bowls starts at $125 and bowls can go for any amount higher.  To date, the bowl that has gotten the highest bid was from last year’s silent auction.  It was a bowl signed by the entire Philadelphia Eagles football team and was won by a bid of $1,700.

Some celebrities, for example Bill and Hillary Clinton, are regular supporters, and have signed a bowl to be auctioned each year.

On occasion, a bowl will be sent to a celebrity for signing and the celebrity will return the bowl with an additional item to be included in the auction. Two years ago, musician James Taylor added a signed guitar to his donation. For this year’s auction, Richie Sambora donated a signed guitar along with his signed bowl.

PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMPTY BOWLS
PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: 914 Cares, Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Celebrities, Crabtree's Kittle House, Dawn Evans Greenberg, donations, empty bowls, Empty Bowls Westchester, Feeding Westchester, Fighting Hunger, hunger, Jessica Reinmann, Painted bowls, Sponsor Generosity, Volunteerism

Feeding Westchester Celebrates 30th Anniversary

December 2, 2018 by Stacey Pfeffer

& Launches Mobile Food Pantry in Partnership with Pace University This Fall

It’s been a busy fall for Elmsford-based nonprofit Feeding Westchester (formerly known as the Food Bank for Westchester). The non-profit just celebrated 30 years with their fundraiser “An Evening in Good Taste” this past October. The event featured cocktails and cuisine from more than 30 Westchester-based chefs including local favorite Beau Widener, the Executive Chef at Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant & Inn.

Beau Widener Executive Chef at Crabtree Kittle House Restaurant and Inn and staff delight fundraiser attendees with their delicacies at “An Evening In Good Taste” Photo by Stacey Pfeffer

This fall also saw the introduction of a new Mobile Food Pantry in partnership with Pace University. Pace President Marvin Krislov attended the first mobile food pantry event on September 27 and spoke with student volunteers who participated by passing out produce to students and local residents.

Noelani Rivera, a first-year student at Pace said, “It was a really great experience to be able to help others, especially people so closely tied to our community.”

Tyler Kalahar, program coordinator at Pace’s Center for Community Action and Research in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, said the new mobile food pantry was in keeping with Pace University ‘s position as a leader in economic mobility in higher education. “Addressing hunger with the mobile food pantry program is simply another way to give students, particularly our first generation and students from low-income families, the resources they need to succeed in college,” Kalaher explained.

The mobile pantry visited the Pace campus on Halloween and November 27th. The next visit is scheduled for December 13th from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The program hopes to provide nourishing, stigma-free food in a location that is accessible to both students and the wider Westchester community.

The mobile food pantry is located at Pace University, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, entrance 3, North Hall parking lot.

(L-R): Cornell Craig (Assistant Dean and Director, Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs at Pace), Zikomo Barr (Coordinator, Leadership Programs at Pace), Olivia Wint (Pace student volunteer), Natalie Holguin (Pace student volunteer), Marvin Krislov (Pace President), Tyler Kalahar (Program Coordinator, Center for Community Action and Research at Pace), Nicole Dobson (Feeding Westchester), Noelani Rivera (Pace student volunteer)
PHOTO COURTESY OF FEEDING WESTCHESTER

The Power of Feeding Westchester

1 in 5 Westchester residents do not know where their next meal is from.

Feeding Westchester provided:

  • 8.4 million lbs of food = 7 million meals
  • 2.2 million lbs of food provided to nearly 200,000 people through mobile food programs
  • Distributed over 432,000 lbs of food to over 3,000 seniors through their Senior Grocery Program
  • Grew local produce at 13 farm sites through their Food Growing Program
  • Partnered with more than 290 agencies across Westchester to feed the hungry

Source: Feeding Westchester 2017 Annual Report

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: community, Feeding Westchester, Food, Food Bank, fundraiser, help, hungry, Mobile Food Pantry, Pace University

County Letter Carriers Team Up to Feed Westchester

May 11, 2018 by Inside Press

From left are Feeding Westchester Representatives: William Holmes, Distribution Center Driver; Carlos Quezada, Warehouse Associate; Leslie Gordon, President & CEO; Jerrell Johnson, Warehouse Associate; and James Resnik, Warehouse Associate.

Feeding Westchester’s 26th Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive

The the leading hunger-relief organization in the county, Feeding Westcheser, is gearing up for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ 26th Annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive on Saturday, May 12.

In the coming days, participating post office letter carriers will leave postcards in residents’ mailboxes that encourage them to place non-perishable foods near their mailboxes on May 12th for neighbors who are hungry. The letter carriers will then pick up the food items and bring to the post offices for Feeding Westchester to pick up, store and distribute to those who are hungry in the community.

Feeding Westchester’s staff and trucks collect all the donations from the post offices in the county and are finalizing preparations for the nation’s largest one-day food collection event. Last year, the organization collected more than 21,644 pounds of food.

“Stamp Out Hunger is a very important campaign that makes it easy for residents to give back to their community simply by placing non-perishable food items at their mailbox,” said Leslie Gordon, President and CEO of Feeding Westchester. “With our neighbors help, we can all help ‘stamp out hunger’ in Westchester. Whether it is a bag of rice or box of pasta, canned vegetables or peanut butter, I encourage our local neighbors to join in this campaign. Together, we can make a difference.”

For residents who do not receive a postcard in the mail, the following is a list of participating post offices that will be collecting food donations on May 12 for the Stamp Out Hunger campaign:

 

 

 

  • Armonk Post Office

403 Main Street, Armonk

 

  • Bedford Hills Post Office

60 Adams Street, Bedford Hills

 

  • Bronxville Station Post Office

119 Pondfield Road, Bronxville

 

  • Centuck Station Post Office

1585 Central Park Ave, Yonkers

 

  • Chappaqua Post Office

107 North Greeley Ave., Chappaqua

 

  • Elmsford Post Office

2 East Main Street, Elmsford

 

  • Greystone Station (North) Post Office

7 O’Dell Plaza (Executive Plaza), Yonkers

 

  • Hartsdale/Scarsdale Annex Post Office

441 Central Park Ave., Scarsdale

 

  • Hastings Station Post Office

591 Warburton Ave., Hastings on Hudson

 

  • Yonkers Main Station Post Office

79081 Main Street, Yonkers

  • Purchase Post Office

3003 Purchase Street, Purchase

 

  • Rye Post Office

41 Purdy Ave., Rye

 

  • Scarsdale Heathcote Post Office

1112 Wilmot Rd., Scarsdale

 

  • Scarsdale Main Post Office

29 Chase Road, Scarsdale

 

  • Somers Post Office

110 Market Plaza, Somers

 

  • South Broadway Station Post Office

335 South Broadway, Yonkers

 

  • Tarrytown Post Office

50 North Broadway, Tarrytown

 

  • Tuckahoe Station Post Office

7 Columbus Ave., Tuckahoe

 

  • White Plains Post Office

100Fisher Ave., White Plains

 

  • Yonkers Av. St. (East) Post Office

915 Yonkers Ave., Yonkers

 

 

For more information about National Association of Letter Carriers’ 26th Annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive on Saturday, May 12, visit https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive/frequently-asked-questions.  To learn more about Feeding Westchester, visit https://feedingwestchester.org.   

 

About Feeding Westchester

For 30 years, Feeding Westchester, formerly known as Food Bank for Westchester, has been the heart of a network of more than 300 partners that provide food directly to the 200,000 county residents who are struggling with hunger. The county’s leading nonprofit hunger-relief organization sources and distributes 95 percent of nutritious food, and other resources, to towns throughout Westchester through soup kitchens, shelters and daycare and residential programs, delivering over 8.4 million pounds of food and 7.5 million meals to people. 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.

Filed Under: Inside Westchester Tagged With: Feeding Westchester, Food Drive, Postal Carriers, Stamp Out Hunger, Westchester Post Office

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Holocaust Survivor Helga Luden Relates her Story of Escape, Rescue and Survival
  • Four Winters Shines a Light on the Bravery of World War II Survivors Among the 25,000 Jewish Partisans
  • $86K State Grant Awarded to 2023 Phoenix Festival Signals Growing Focus on Tourism
  • Scarsdale Music Festival Gearing Up for a June 3rd Event: Sponsorships, Performers and Vendors Sought
  • Governor Hochul Urges: SHOP SMALL to Help Small Businesses Which Make Up 98% of New York State’s Economy
  • Chappaqua’s Always Magical HOLIDAY STROLL on December 3rd: Ice Sculpting, Tree Lighting, Horace Greeley Encords… and More!

Please Visit

White Plains Hospital
Boys & Girls Club
Compass: Goldman and Herman
Compass: Generic
Desires by Mikolay
William Raveis – Chappaqua
William Raveis – Armonk
Dodd’s Wine Shop
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
Lumagica Enchanged Forest
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
Compass: Natalia Wixom
Eye Designs of Armonk
Stacee Massoni
Club Fit
Beecher Flooks Funeral Home
Play Nice Together
Compass: Aurora Banaszek
Houlihan: Kile Boga-Ibric
Raveis: Sena Baron
Houlihan: Danielle Orellana
Compass: Usha Subramaniam
Compass: David Braham
Compass: Yona Stougo

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Our Latest Issues

For a full reading of our current edition, or to obtain a copy or subscription, please contact us.

Inside Chappaqua Inside Armonk Inside Pleasantville

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Subscription
  • Print Subscription

Footer

Support The Inside Press

Advertising

Print Subscription

Digital Subscription

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime to our print editions?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2023 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in