Home to world-class biotechnology companies, a groundbreaking cancer research center, and two of the country’s most affluent suburbs—Scarsdale and Rye—Westchester presents as the gold standard for a prosperous community. But underneath the grandeur and wealth, there is a jarring reality: Despite a median household income of approximately $118,411 (per the latest report from 2023), an inordinate number of the county’s nearly one million residents do not have consistent access to affordable, nutritious food—one in three people, to be exact.
This qualifies the county as having “food deserts,” which are areas of the region that have a significant lack of affordable, healthy, and plentiful food sources. Food deserts— and food insecurity in general—are increasingly pressing issues across America, particularly with the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in areas of the country that can otherwise afford them. The USDA defines a food desert as an area where over 33% of the population lacks nearby access to a supermarket—more than one mile away in urban areas and over 10 miles in rural regions. Parts of New Rochelle, Yonkers, Ossining, and Mount Vernon currently qualify as food deserts.
The federal government plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity, but potential cuts to programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) threaten to exacerbate the issue, leaving millions of Americans in flux. In addition to the disruption of government-backed programs, the rising cost of living, driven by factors such as inflation and supply chain disruptions, further challenges the ability of low-income families to afford adequate food. If SNAP is disrupted, it will impact nearly 79,000 Westchester County residents who rely on the program for food.
On the frontline of the county’s food insecurity crisis, Feeding Westchester fields calls from people who are in distress and responds by delivering groceries with a network of nearly 300 hunger relief partner programs. “When you open the refrigerator and you know there’s nothing there, it’s scary,” says Linda Ramos, a Mount Vernon resident who has utilized Feeding Westchester and its partners countless times. “My lowest moment was looking at the refrigerator and thinking, ‘Am I going to eat today? Am I going to find food tomorrow?’ Feeding Westchester helps us to know that there is hope; [that we] don’t have to worry about food. It has helped so many families like [mine].”
The Feeding Westchester team received a call at 5pm before Memorial Day weekend from a senior who had three items left in her fridge, despite her careful budgeting. She confessed that she was “so embarrassed” and didn’t know how she got to that point. Her SNAP benefits didn’t renew until the Tuesday after the long weekend and she was unable to drive to a food distribution center. Feeding Westchester identified a volunteer from a White Plains partner agency who was able to hand deliver two large bags of groceries. When the community representative called back to check in, the woman was so grateful and in tears, saying she “got manicotti, spaghetti, and linguini,” and was about to have “the best pasta dinner ever.” She was in awe of the kindness and estimated that what she received must have been $300 worth of groceries.
In 2023, Feeding Westchester partnered with Boston Consulting Group to conduct an inaugural “Hunger Relief Systems Analysis” to determine which areas of the county were most affected by food insecurity. Using technology and public data, such as retail food sources and neighborhood health statistics, they zeroed in on 15 neighborhoods across Westchester with the most need: nine in Yonkers, three in New Rochelle, two in Mount Vernon, and one in Ossining.
The problem of food insecurity isn’t solved simply by living closer to a supermarket. Availability of food is as much about affordability as it is about getting to a nearby grocery store.
“In Westchester County and beyond, food insecurity often stems from a combination of factors—lack of accessible grocery stores, transportation barriers, the use of metrics so low that they exclude many families in need, and the lack of access to complete, ready-to-eat meals. These challenges reveal that the issue is far more nuanced than just geography,” says Martha Elder, executive director of Second Chance Foods.
A Brewster-based nonprofit that also serves Westchester, Second Chance Foods strives to reduce food waste and hunger. In the first half of 2024 alone, the organization saved 328,269 pounds of food and cooked 117,968 meals. The nonprofit is helping families that are in desperate need, but not destitute, assisting many families in the area that don’t fit the parameters for government assistance from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
“My lowest moment was looking at the refrigerator and thinking, ‘Am I going to eat today? Am I going to find food tomorrow?'”
“36% of households in Westchester County live in poverty, as set by the federal poverty line, or live paycheck to paycheck,” Elder added. Per the latest data, Westchester’s poverty line, the minimum income needed to meet basic needs, for a four-person family with two children is $32,150.
“Many families face barriers to traditional hunger relief programs due to unrealistic eligibility thresholds from TEFAP. This program limits food pantry participation to families of four earning less than $67,500—far below the $107,724 needed for a basic survival budget.”
The nonprofit has a twofold operation: First, they collect excess food from grocery stores, local farms, and any other businesses with a surplus. Depending on what the donation is, volunteers will use the space’s commercial kitchen to cook the food to provide complete meals while extending its shelf life. If the food doesn’t need to be prepared, like in the case of dry goods, it’s added to the deliveries with the prepared meals that go out to other local relief organizations, food pantries, and Second Chance Foods’ weekly distribution.
In November of 2024, the New York Community Trust awarded Second Chance Foods a two-year grant of $120,000 to allow its team to expand the Bountiful Meals program further into Westchester County. The program aims to eliminate food waste by taking surplus food from outside the food desert areas of the county and stocking it in the freezers of libraries, community spaces, and senior centers, among other local places.
Second Chance Foods focuses on reducing food waste and increasing access to fresh, nutritious meals through innovative programs like Bountiful Meals.
By working closely with farmers, grocers, and other community partners, the organization plans to cater to the specific needs of Westchester’s diverse population and meet people where they are—literally and figuratively. “We envision a future of hunger relief in Westchester County where everyone has consistent access to fresh, nutritious food provided with dignity and care,” says Elder.
Feeding Westchester’s equally large network of partners includes nutritionists and chefs who impart information about food health, share recipes, and teach the many communities of Westchester the importance of food selection.
“In 2024, we provided more than 23 million pounds of food, equivalent to more than 19 million meals, through soup kitchens, food pantries, schools, shelters, residential programs, and mobile distributions,” says Jenine Kelly, vice president of development, marketing, and communications at Feeding Westchester. “That served an average of 229,000 neighbor visits—including visits from children, seniors, veterans, and hardworking families—every month.”
Two of Feeding Westchester’s biggest initiatives are geared toward some of the county’s most vulnerable groups: children and seniors. Across the county, the nonprofit feeds 80,000 children in need each month. These meals offer more than just full bellies; long-term effects of food insecurity in children are poor health and worse life outcomes. By establishing partnerships with local schools, daycares, libraries, and other organizations, children receive nutritious, kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare food, which they normally would have gone without. And with subsidized school lunches also at risk given the federal funding freeze, these meals go beyond being just a sandwich and a snack—they are a signal to underprivileged children that they won’t be forgotten or swept away in the system.
Across the county, Feeding Westchester provides meals to 80,000 children in need each month.
Another crisis on the rise is the number of seniors in the county facing food insecurity. A task like applying to SNAP is daunting and confusing for seniors who are already under duress about being able to feed themselves. On top of providing grocery deliveries to promote independent living for seniors and those with disabilities, Feeding Westchester also employs a full-time coordinator who makes home visits to assist in the SNAP screening and application process.
For Westchester, any policy change that negatively alters SNAP means more work for food pantries, nonprofit partners, and soup kitchens. Certain community-based organizations in low-income neighborhoods have recently come together to help needy families.
At Dunbar Heights Low Income Housing in Peekskill, where Second Chance Foods partners with New Era Creative Space (NECS) to offer meals, there are no nearby grocery stores and little public transportation to reach one. NECS recently started to provide meals to students who attend their after-school programs. Not long after implementing the meal offerings, they found that students’ entire families would tag along with them.
Today the space plays a vital role in strengthening community ties among the residents, providing a place where neighbors can meet, rendezvous, and eat with their children. Second Chance Foods now provides more food than they’d originally allotted to meet the demand of the NECS and Dunbar families.
The issue of food waste—food that would otherwise be tossed if not used appropriately or before its expiration—is also central to Second Chance Foods’ ability to provide places like NECS with meals. “Second Chance Foods contributes to both hunger relief and environmental sustainability by diverting food waste from landfills and repurposing it into meals. This dual impact is central to our mission,” says Elder.
The challenge of food insecurity in our county is being addressed but is far from being resolved. However, the collective efforts of local organizations, businesses, and community members can offer those who are struggling a measure of hope. As these hard-working groups know, it’s crucial to stay committed to not only providing immediate relief but also creating long-term solutions that ensure future access to nutritious food for all.
Ways You Can Help
Donate
Feeding Westchester works magic with every donation. Each dollar they receive translates into five meals for someone in need.
Organize a Food Drive
While you may envision a collection box full of canned goods, know that food banks also desperately need fresh produce. Organizing a food drive at your work, place of worship, or community center can have a significant impact on the quality of nourishment that soup kitchens and food pantries can provide.
Volunteer
In addition to Second Chance Foods and Feeding Westchester, there are numerous nonprofits in the county fighting food disparity. What they all have in common is that they are driven by volunteers—cooking, collecting, or delivering. Those interested can check out Volunteer New York!
Raise Awareness
Being a voice for advocacy and change in the fight against hunger is a role that comes at no cost. Helping to raise awareness, dispel the myths surrounding hunger, and hold local and federal governments accountable are important steps in engaging the community and eliciting change.
Related: The Sharing Shelf Combats Clothing Insecurity in Westchester
