The nonprofit Feeding Westchester, which works with more than 300 partners and programs to feed an estimated 220,000 people each month, has opened a 12,000-square-foot addition to its warehouse at 200 Clearbrook Road in Elmsford. It’s estimated the addition will increase its storage and distribution capacity by 50%.
At a July 19 ribbon-cutting, Karen C. Erren, president and CEO of Feeding Westchester, said, “Food prices and the high cost of living are straining family finances and putting more families at risk of hunger. Our existing distribution center struggled to have enough space to store and distribute the food required to keep up with the growing need.”
A tenant next to Feeding Westchester had moved out and at the beginning of the year the organization leased the vacant space and began extensive renovations. The renovations, which were completed this month, included installing a new concrete slab floor, retrofitting the fire suppression system, adding a door to connect the new and old spaces, adding two loading dock doors where trucks and other vehicles pull up for loading and unloading, and installing new shelves and racks.
The additional space allows Feeding Westchester to hold two months of inventory or 1.4 million meals, compared with one month of inventory or 700,000 meals before the expansion. At the time of the ribbon-cutting, the shelves in the new space were empty, prompting Erren to say, “We hope they won”™t be for long. With the help of our amazing supporters, we”™d like to stock the shelves. Together, we can make a substantial difference for struggling families by providing them with nourishing foods.”
Ryan Brisk, senior director of operations and procurement managed the expansion project and said, “By setting aside 30% of our warehouse space for staging and receiving, we will be able to operate more effectively and efficiently. We can move things in and out quickly. Prior to this expansion, we had almost no space in the distribution center that could be set aside for this purpose.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer noted that food insecurity often hides in plain sight and characterized Feeding Westchester as a “vital resource.”
Among those attending the ribbon-cutting were State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Sen. Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Mary Jane Shimsky and Assemblyman Matt Slater.
Although not confirmed, but based on the statistic in this article; it appears that 1 out of every 20 Westchester residents is seeking food assistance. The stat in this article is not per day or per resident. It would be good to know the exact number. Hunger should not be at these levels and combined with the cost of living and housing they are all alarm bells for the fundamentals of our economy and society.