REALTOR® FOUNDATION SUPPORTS INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY

From left: Bob Shandley and Carol Christiansen, HG Realtor Foundation; Trina Ward Fontaine, executive director, Mount Kisco Food Pantry; Elisa Bruno-Midili, HG Realtor Foundation; Roberta Horowitz, director of operations and programs, Mount Kisco Food Pantry; and Matt McAllister, HG Realtor Foundation.

The Hudson Gateway Realtor® Foundation, the charitable arm of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors®, recently presented a check for $2,000 to the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, which serves 21 communities in northern Westchester County.

The Food Pantry has helped alleviate food insecurity in northern Westchester for over 32 years as a reliable, weekly source of nutritious food and complementary programs and services. Families in need may visit weekly and select from ample amounts of healthy grocery staples, fresh produce, eggs, frozen whole proteins like chicken and fish, shelf-stable milk and other dairy items. 

Free programs designed to promote health and well-being and home delivery for the homebound are also offered.

“Our Pantry has experienced a shocking surge of demand in the past few years,” explained Trina Fontaine, the Pantry”™s executive director.  “Prior to Covid an average of 300 households per week relied on the Pantry, but that number has more than doubled with inflation hitting our vulnerable neighbors the hardest. We now serve over 600 families weekly.”

In 2022, nearly 64,000 individuals received the Pantry”™s help and this year they anticipate serving 90,000 individuals ”“ the most in its history.  “We are grateful to Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation for their generous gift, which will be used to stock our Pantry with enough nutritionally dense shelf-stable milk to serve nearly 2,000 guests, 30% of whom are children,” said Fontaine.