BCW and Feeding Westchester Hold Timely Discussion with State Legislators on Community Hunger and Budget Priorities

The BCW and BCW Member Feeding Westchester recently held an important and timely community hunger and budget discussion with Westchester’s State Delegation.    

The senior team at Feeding Westchester provided the delegation members with an update on the work they did to provide services during the recent government shutdown.

With nearly 3 million New Yorkers – including 1 in 3 households in Westchester County struggling to afford food each day – Feeding Westchester outlined to the state legislators their top priorities.  They include: 

Fully fund both the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and Nourish NY (NNY) at $75M each. They ask that the FY27 budget fund both programs at $75M each in anticipation of higher demand at food distributions across the state.

Fully fund Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) at $8.SM New York’s network of SNAP navigators, funded through the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP), will also lose half of its federal funding beginning October 2026. To sustain services statewide, the FY2027 budget must fund NOEP at $8.5M.

Feeding Westchester also urged the legislators to:

• Implement key administrative improvements to strengthen program delivery and efficiency  
• Sustain universal school meals 
• Transition to more secure EBT chip cards to protect SNAP benefits 

Feeding Westchester noted that HPNAP and Nourish New York are not just hunger relief programs. They are investments in New York’s people, economy, and agricultural future. By strengthening these programs through sustained funding and smart administrative reforms, New York can continue to lead the nation in ensuring that every family has access to healthy, local food.

The meeting was held November 14 at Feeding Westchester’s facility in Elmsford. Attending from the BCW were BCW Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz and BCW Vice President of State Government Affairs Andra Horsch. This is the second year in a row in which the BCW coordinated the state delegation to come to Feeding Westchester’s facility.

“We are proud that Feeding Westchester is a member of the BCW’s Legislative Enhanced Advocacy Program (LEAP) which has given us the opportunity to bring elected officials from all levels of government to meet with the Feeding Westchester staff on a regular basis,” said Ravitz.

Legislators attending the meeting were Assembly Member Matt Slater, Assembly Member Mary Jane Shimsky and Assembly Member Dana Levenberg and her staff. Also attending were staff members for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Jamaal Bailey, Assembly Member Chris Burdick, Assembly Member Gary Pretlow, Assembly Member Amy Paulin and Assembly Member Steve Otis.

The team from Feeding Westchester attending the meeting included:

• Tami Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Feeding Westchester
• Ryan Brisk, Vice President of Operations & Procurement, Feeding Westchester
• Ciara Mulligan, Manager of Advocacy, Feeding Westchester
• Daniel Bonnet, Chief Program Officer, The Carver Center
• Alyssa Harrynanan, Advocacy Coordinator, Feeding New York State
• Elvia Santana, Manager of Advocacy & Community Organizing, Food Bank for NYC