hunger

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

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.

‘Empty Bowls Westchester:’ Raising Funds and Awareness

December 1, 2016 by Kelly Leonard

The signed Hillary Bowl: presented as a gift to Dawn Greenberg; here, together with Jessica Reinmann (left) and News 12 emcee, Lisa Salvadorini (right) PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

The second annual Empty Bowls Westchester fundraising event raised $87,500 in one evening on Sunday, November 13, at the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk to support local food pantries in Northern Westchester including The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, The Community Center of Northern Westchester and the Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry. Award-winning anchor for New 12 Westchester and News 12 Hudson Valley, Lisa Salvadorini, served as the evening fundraiser emcee.

Hosted by Chappaqua Cares, an organization dedicated to connecting local residents with philanthropic opportunities for volunteering, fundraising and donating, the event included a celebrity bowl silent auction with bowls signed by Chappaqua’s own Hillary Clinton, Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, singer/songwriter James Taylor, country music star Carrie Underwood, New York Mets players and other notables.

Co-founders and organizers Dawn Evans Greenberg and Jessica Stern Reinmann welcomed guests as they made their way into the club. The event was attended by hundreds who came out to support the cause in casual dress and dined on a simple meal of soup and bread.

The bowl signed by Hillary Clinton helped raise $3,000 in the silent auction. The bowl was presented as a gift to Greenberg who had worked tirelessly during the election season on behalf of Hillary for America.

Why the need for an event to help end hunger in affluent Westchester County? According to USDA’s 2014 report on hunger in America, Household Food Insecurity in the United States, 13.5 % of New York residents are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to a nutritious well-balanced diet. The Food Bank for Westchester estimates that approximately 200,000 Westchester County residents are hungry or at risk of hunger. More than half of them are seniors; one-third are children under the age of 18.

Empty Bowls Westchester is part of the Empty Bowls project, an international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight against hunger. Empty Bowls communities work together to create hand painted bowls for guests to take home at the end of the event to serve as a reminder of all of the people in the world whose bowls are empty on a daily basis.

For more information contact Empty Bowls Westchester at chappaquacares@gmail.comor find them on Facebook at EmptyBowlsWestchester and Twitter @chappaquacares.

Kelly Leonard is the Founder and Principal Consultant of KLO Associates, LLC, a digital marketing boutique specializing in custom content strategy and influencer engagement for authors, publishers, local businesses and nonprofits. Previously she held senior management positions at Time Warner Book Group and Hachette Book Group.

Hundreds enjoyed the Chappaqua Cares event that helps food pantries fight their battle against hunger.

Serving up some half dozen delicious soups.

Filling One Bowl Feeds Many

October 21, 2016 by The Inside Press

Over the past six months, community members have unleashed their inner artist to paint over 200 bowls to be given away to guests at the second annual Empty Bowls Westchester fundraiser on Sunday, November 13th. The event was created by Chappaqua Cares to raise funds and awareness for food pantries. In addition to bowls painted in the community, approximately 15 bowls signed by celebrities will be auctioned.

Information & tickets: www.chappaquacares.org

Child Hunger Rountable Highlights Hunger in County

July 24, 2016 by Inside Press

Lowey, USDA Official, and Food Bank for Westchester Hold Child Hunger Roundtable and Food Bank Tour in Hottest and Hungriest Season

66,000 children in Westchester are food insecure; 13,600 in Rockland enrolled in school nutrition programs

Families of kids receiving free and reduced lunch in school face hundreds in additional costs in summer

Congress must save and strengthen child nutrition programs

Elmsford, NY – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) and United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon yesterday toured Food Bank for Westchester’s distribution center and held a roundtable on helping children at risk of hunger during the summer.

“The dog days of summer shouldn’t also be the hungry days of summer,” said Lowey, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Yet tens of thousands of children in the Lower Hudson Valley are hungry in the months they don’t attend school where they receive vital meals. We can’t expect children to grow, thrive, and succeed if they are hungry. That’s why I’m working with Food Bank for Westchester and USDA Under Secretary Concannon to pass legislation to save and expand summer feeding programs and other nutrition initiatives for millions of American children and families.”

Under Secretary Concannon said, “The USDA has long recognized summer as a vulnerable time for kids and has been focused on closing the food security gap that occurs during the months when school is out of session. Since 2009, more than 1.2 billion meals have been served through the Summer Meal Programs, fueling kids and teens throughout the summer and helping to ensure they are healthy and ready to learn when the school year begins. Alongside Congresswoman Lowey, New York State, the Food Bank for Westchester, and other partners, we will continue our commitment to the New Yorkers most in need.”

President and CEO of the Food Bank for Westchester Ellen Lynch added, “One in five people in Westchester County are food insecure, and 33 percent of those people are children. We thank Congresswoman Nita Lowey and USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon for their visit today and are grateful for their efforts on behalf of children and families. With their help, we are optimistic that we will be able to expand our summer feeding programs and make sure that more children receive the nutritious food they need and deserve.’’

Millions of American children are food insecure, including 66,000 in Westchester County, according to the Food Bank for Westchester. Many go without the nutritional support they receive at school during the summer months, including up to 25,000 Westchester students in grades five and under who receive free or reduced lunches in school. In Rockland County, according to People to People for Rockland, food insecurity affects 9.5 percent of the population, including 13,641 children enrolled in school nutrition programs. The Food Bank of Westchester officials said that, based on Feeding America estimates, families need an additional $318 for meals in the summer for each child who loses the benefit of free or reduced school lunch programs while school is out.

Following a tour of the Food Bank for Westchester’s impressive distribution center, Lowey and Concannon heard from hunger relief advocates, youth agency and nutrition program representatives, and school officials about the dire circumstances facing many local families and proposals to close the meal gap.

Joe Allen, Chairman of the Board for People to People for Rockland, which served nearly 47,000 individuals last year, said, “Since the recession began in 2008, the number of Rocklanders needing the services of the People to People pantry increases virtually every single month. In the throes of summer, the situation gets more severe. Too many parents now dread the financial strain that comes with feeding their families in the summer, traditionally the season of rest and relaxation.”

Elmsford Union Free School District Superintendent Joseph Ricca said, “Too many of our children are living in a constant state of uncertainty and anxiety about finding their next nutritious meal. During the summer months or holiday school recesses, these concerns are exacerbated. We must continue to work hard to support our neediest children and their families by providing them with opportunities to secure the food that they need during these challenging times. We are grateful to Congresswoman Lowey, Under Secretary Concannon and the Food Bank for Westchester for continuing to bring these dire circumstances affecting our children to the forefront.”

Congress is overdue to pass a Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. Many related programs expired last summer, were temporarily extended, and will expire on September 30th. The bill Republicans passed in the House Education and Workforce Committee in May to reauthorize the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would put more children at risk of hunger year-round.

The partisan bill’s shortcomings include:
· A higher threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision, which helps schools with high poverty rates provide free breakfast and lunch to all students;
· Block grants and decreased funding for states in place of vital and successful initiatives like the Summer Food Service Program and school lunch and breakfast programs; and
· No permanent authorization and less funding than is currently provided for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) for Children pilot project.

As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Lowey has strongly supported the Summer EBT program since 2010 and President Obama’s proposal to expand it nationwide, including for New York families. It provides debit-like cards for food purchases during the summer to families with children in free and reduced lunch school feeding programs. Concannon said Summer EBT has helped reduce the most severe food insecurity by one-third during the summer months and enabled children at risk of hunger to eat more nutritious meals in the eight states where it operates.

“Thankfully we have great organizations like People to People for Rockland and the Food Bank for Westchester to fill the hunger gap,” said Lowey. “Our communities are strongest when our economy helps Americans secure good jobs that fully support their families and when the government safety net is sufficient to help when they need it. When Congress returns to Washington in September, ending hunger for millions of young Americans must be a top priority. Our children are counting on us to put food on the table, and we cannot let them down.”

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