Feeding Westchester and BCW Partner on Tour and Presentation to Elected Officials

BCW Member Feeding Westchester and the Business Council of Westchester partnered on November 14 to host State Senate and State Assembly Westchester elected officials for a tour of Feeding Westchester’s expanded space in Elmsford and to discuss the upcoming state budget.

Feeding Westchester CEO Karen Erren, partners and colleagues in the room highlighted the increased need throughout the County.

Among the facts presented to the elected officials at the program:

• Food banks, food pantries, and community-based organizations have reported significant increases in demand at distributions across the state. Feeding Westchester calls on New York State to fully fund both the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and Nourish New York (NNY) at $75M. Both programs have allowed Feeding Westchester to distribute nutritious food to our neighbors in need.

• Feeding Westchester advocates fully funding NOEP, a program that supports a network of community-based organizations conducting SNAP outreach and providing free and confidential application assistance to food-insecure New Yorkers.
• After the 23-24 school meals state expansion, 116 schools in Westchester have free for all school meals and 77,000 students have access to free school meals. However, 70 schools and 35,000 students still do not have access. Feeding Westchester continues to advocate for Universal School Meals.

• SNAP is the nation’s most impactful anti-hunger program, providing over 3 million New Yorkers with vital food assistance. However, some participants receive as little as $23 per month—which amounts to less than $1 per day. Feeding Westchester stands with organizations across the state and 66% of New Yorkers in calling for an adequate minimum SNAP benefit of $100.

Along with the officials and their staff, representatives from Feeding NYS, Long Island Cares, Inc.-The Harry Chapin Food Bank and local partners participated in the event. 

Attendees included Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Senator Nathalia Fernandez; Senator Shelley Mayer; Senator Peter Harckham Staff member Tito Davila; Senator Jamaal Bailey; Assemblywoman Amy Paulin staff member, Brenna Pearlstein, Deputy Director of Communications; Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky; Assemblyman Chris Burdick staff member Chief of Staff Heather Lackey Chief of Staff; Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg Chief of Staff Victoria Cafarelli; Assemblyman Steve Otis; Assemblyman Matt Slater and Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow  

Among the presenters were BCW Executive Vice President & COO John Ravitz, BCW Vice President of State Government Affairs Andra Horsch; Cynthia Knox of CHHOP; Jackie Agudelo of United Community Center of Westchester; Dan Egan & Alyssa Harrynanan of Feeding NYS; Abbie Watts of Community Food Advocates and John Sears and Michael Haynes of Long Island Cares.

Feeding Westchester is also a member of the BCW Legislative Enhanced Advocacy Program (LEAP).