The Food Bank for Westchester announced Wednesday the start of its annual Go Orange to End Hunger campaign as part of September’s Hunger Action Month. Now in its second year, the campaign includes activities, social media campaigns and other events designed to encourage people to take action against hunger.
One event, “An Evening of Good Taste,” allows people to support hunger initiatives while sampling food from the region’s top restaurants and caterers. The month of activities will also feature Annual Agency Day, in which 300 hunger-relief member agencies will gather.
- From left: Alex Chavarria of The Carver Center; Maria Bronzi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Food Bank for Westchester; Cliff Weber, member of the Board of Directors for the Food Bank for Westchester; state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Rep. Nita Lowey; Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino; Ellen Lynch, President and CEO of the Food Bank for Westchester.
“Hunger Action Month is dedicated to heightening awareness, rallying volunteers, raising funds and driving solutions to end hunger across the country and here in Westchseter,” Food Bank for Westchester President and CEO Ellen Lynch said. “We are asking residents and community leaders to join us in fighting hunger in our community. We can all find a way to make a difference.”
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said the county will promote Hunger Action Month through a text-to-donate campaign. Yonkers City Hall will turn its exterior lights orange and Empire City Casino in Yonkers will turn its entrance canopy orange to raise awareness for the campaign. “Westchester County is proud to support this great initiative,” Astorino said. “Hunger is not an issue that is always easily detected, which is why raising awareness is so critical. Contribution to the food bank will make a difference in the lives of so many.”
The Elmsford-based Food Bank for Westchester, which is one of eight regional food banks in the Feeding America network, estimates 200,000 Westchester County residents are hungry or at risk of being hungry.  Of those, one-third are children and 22 percent are seniors over the age of 60. The Food Bank for Westchester serves 265 programs. It delivered more than 6.3 million meals to county residents last year.
