Feeding Westchester, formerly Food Bank for Westchester, launched its annual Hunger Action Month at a ceremony Sept. 8 from its warehouse in Elmsford. The event included a number of public officials wearing orange as part of the 5th annual “Go Orange to End Hunger” campaign.
Orange is the color for Hunger Action Month, which was established by Feeding America in 2008 as a nationwide push to use a month full of events every September to increase awareness of hunger.
Related: Suite Talk: Leslie Gordon on rebranding Feeding Westchester from its food bank roots
As part of the ceremony, Elmsford-based Feeding Westchester announced its new board chair: Sue Norton, VP of global citizenship and sustainability for PepsiCo and VP of the PepsiCo Foundation. Norton, a Feeding Westchester board member for five years, succeeds Maria Bronzi, who served as board chair for the previous three years.
Feeding Westchester also released a list of events planned this month to bring attention to hunger in a county where 1 in 5 residents faces food insecurity.
The schedule includes the “Miles for Meals 5K Fun Run,” a partnership with Pace University at Pace”™s Pleasantville Campus at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 23. Feeding Westchester will also host its annual Agency Conference on Sept. 20 to honor its Partner Agency Network.
Other planned events throughout the county include the following:
- The League of Women Voters will host a screening of the film “Wasted” at the White Plains Library on Sept. 8;
- The Ridge Hill shopping center will host a Back to School event benefiting Feeding Westchester on Sept 9;
- Yonkers City Hall will be lit up orange. A fountain in White Plains will go orange, as well, on Sept. 13 for National Hunger Action Day;
- Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers will place orange mums throughout the center and have Feeding Westcehster representatives on hand to accept donation at its annual Fall Flicks event on Sept. 14, 21 and 28;
- Intoxikate.com has partnered with local restaurants to feature an orange-inspired dish on their menus for a special campaign called “Eating Orange.” Participating restaurants include Blue Moon Mexican Café, La Bocca Ristorante, Nonna”™s Trattoria and Anthony”™s Coal Fired Pizza;
- Children”™s store Hip-Kid in Chappaqua will host a lemonade stand for Feeding Westchester on Sept. 15;
- White Plains Jazz Fest, in partnership with ArtsWestchester, will welcome Feeding Westchester to their Empty Bowls event in downtown White Plains on Sept. 16. Individuals will be encouraged to purchase an artist-made bowl with snacks provided by sponsor Stop & Shop to raise funds; and
- ShopRite will host an event, Help Bag Hunger, to bring local community leaders together to bag groceries, meet customers and raise awareness on Sept. 17.
A full schedule of events is available at www.feedingwestchester.org.
