More than 3,000 pounds of food as well as cash donations were collected to help Westchester families in need recently.
The Saturday, Nov. 15 event, held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Mount Kisco, was organized by state Sen. Pete Harckham along with local partners The Pantry (formerly Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry) and the Bedford Teachers Association.
More than two dozen volunteers pitched in, including seniors from Fox Lane High School, teachers from the Bedford schools, interns from Harckham’s Senate office and members of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Locals 60 and 235. It was the 19th food drive the Democratic lawmaker has hosted since 2020.
Food insecurity, already on the rise due to rising food costs and other factors, was exacerbated by the suspension of SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, during the unprecedented 43-day government shutdown.
Congress passed a bill on Wednesday, Nov. 12. President Trump signed off on it shortly afterwards.
Also coming to an end was a weeks-long legal battle in which the Trump administration withdrew its appeal of a court ruling that had ordered it to fully fund SNAP.
SNAP beneficiaries are required to recertify their application information every six to 12 months. This means updating their work history and income to make sure they still qualify.
Approximately one in eight people – or 42 million Americans, 3 million of which are New Yorkers -- receive SNAP benefits. The program reportedly cost $100 billion in fiscal year 2024.
According to media reports, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said the government plans to require millions of people to reapply for benefits.
The USDA did not provide a timeline or details on exactly how this would differ from the current state-level rules for beneficiaries.
The loss of SNAP benefits ratcheted up demand at already overwhelmed local food pantries, such as the one in Mount Kisco.
Gov. Kathy Hochul had earlier directed state agencies to release full SNAP benefits for November.
“Let me be clear, President Trump is hellbent on preventing millions of Americans from putting food on the table,” she said on Friday, Nov. 7. “He’s made decision after decision to withhold funding that feeds families, seniors and children -- and continues doubling down on this cruelty by challenging the courts’ clear orders. It's senseless and un-American and I'm working tirelessly to bring this uncertainty to an end for the nearly three million New Yorkers who rely on this program.”
A week prior to that announcement, Hochul had declared a state of emergency, allowing the infusion of $65 million in state funds to confront the issue.
“Food insecurity is rampant so we’re happy to work with our pantry partners to gather up about a ton and a half of food here today and several hundred dollars in cash donations,” Harckham told Halston Media Saturday.
“The community keeps giving and as long as the community keeps giving, we’ll keep doing it,” he said, adding that since his office has been hosting the drive, more than 26 tons of food have been donated.
According to its executive director, Trina Ward Fontaine, The Pantry feeds more than 500 families a week.
“It means so much that Sen. Harckham has continued to draw attention to the issue of food insecurity in our community,” she said.
Carol DeGeorge, president of the Bedford Teachers Association, praised Harckham and his staff on the “important initiative” that will benefit “those in our community who are in desperate need of support at this time and throughout the year.”
LiUNA Local 60 is “always looking for ways to help and give back to the community,” said Anthony Ascencao, the union’s business manager.
“We know that strong unions build strong communities. There are too many families facing food insecurity right now, so being able to assist with the food drive was something our members were eager to do,” he added.
For more information, visit www.thepantryny.org.
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