​In a bid to better align its name with an ongoing mission to feed Westchester’s hungry, the Food Bank for Westchester switched its name on March 22 to Feeding Westchester. The change comes at a particularly auspicious time for Feeding Westchester, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year as one of the county’s most active nonprofits.
According to Feeding Westchester’s President and CEO, Leslie Gordon, much about the nonprofit will remain unaltered. “Our name is changing, but our mission, our work, and our board and staff remains the same,” she says. “We are Westchester’s largest hunger relief program and are responsible for 95 percent of food provided to those who are hungry in the county… We also safely recover nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste — and we are truly committed to providing people with good, nutritious meals.”
With a surprising amount of hunger in the county, this mission is as vital as ever. According to the organization, one in five people in Westchester are hungry, a number that includes 1 in 3 children. Currently, Feeding Westchester is in the second year of a plan to distribute 10.5 million pounds of food annually by 2021 — the equivalent of 9.3 million meals. The organization’s renaming was developed by national branding experts and supported by extensive research.
Related: Westchester’s Hidden Hunger
“Feeding Westchester is an excellent name for an organization that does just that,” says Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “The work they do serves the often forgotten residents of our County who work hard to feed themselves and their families, and rely on the help this organization can provide. While the last 30 years were successful under their previous name, I look forward to seeing the great work yet to come.”
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano agrees that the organization has a bright future in the county. “The City of Yonkers has always been in complete support of Food Bank for Westchester’s mission. This name change is just another step in the right direction,” he says. “The new name, Feeding Westchester, accurately describes the great work that they do as the leading hunger relief organization in the county… We look forward to continuing to work with Feeding Westchester to bring an end to hunger in our neighborhoods.”