In the past three weeks, Deborah Bernard has spent $4,600 on groceries.
That”™s because Bernard, vice president of finance for Swiss Re, a global reinsurer with U.S. headquarters in Armonk, is shopping for 250 families, all of whom participate in Family Services of Westchester”™s Head Start, Early Head Start and Prime Time Special Ed Preschool programs for low-income children.
Bernard started the food-collecting campaign on behalf of Swiss Re employees to create Thanksgiving food boxes for families three years ago, when the company donated 85 boxes of food.
Last year, the company collected 119 boxes and this year Bernard hopes to amass 250 boxes of food.
Each box contains enough food for a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of four along with some grocery staples.
“The drive has really grown,” Bernard said. “I”™m just thrilled. There is so much participation now among our employees. I think people recognize the need to give to these families, and they realize just how fortunate they are in these tough economic times.”Â
Corporate commitment to food collection is great for food banks, which do not receive government or state funding and depend on “individuals, foundations and businesses to support us and help feed the people out there,” said Antonetta C. Gutter, director of development of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
“Right now people are trying to help us as much as they can by hosting food drives and getting involved in volunteerism,” Gutter said. “Our donations are slightly down but we have a core of businesses and individuals who help us. Without them, we couldn”™t continue doing our job.”
Gutter said the Food Bank serves “tens of thousands of people” in six counties: Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess and Sullivan and supplies more than 300 soup kitchens, homeless shelters and food pantries.
“Last year, we distributed 7 million pounds of food, and it looks like we could be distributing over 9 million this year,” Gutter said.
Gutter said the Food Bank is “hardest hit during the holidays” and demand for food peaks during the winter months because businesses do their budgets and start laying off workers, “so we see a lot more people coming to us during those times.”
The demand peaks again in the summer months, with children who receive subsidized lunches during the school year on summer break.
“All the food banks across the country have seen an increase of people coming to the soup kitchens and food pantries,” Gutter said. “There”™s going to be a segment of the population that is always going to need help.”
Gutter said since 9/11 there has been an increase in the middle class using the facility, “especially now with the sluggish economy and job losses and foreclosures.”
Gutter said even a $1 donation to the Food Bank will provide $10 to $12 of food for a needy family because the Food Bank purchases food at wholesale prices.
“Across the board, I think all not-for-profits are feeling the pinch right now because of the sluggish economy,” Gutter said. “It”™s going to be a tough winter for everybody.”
Eli Gordon, director of development of the Food Bank for Westchester in Millwood, said the demand for food goes up around holiday time.
“What we have noticed is many corporations are coming in and showing team spirit by volunteering in our warehouse,” Gordon said.
The Food Bank for Westchester services 200,000 Westchester residents that are hungry or at risk. Gordon said 36 percent are children under 18; 14 percent are senior citizens.
“We have approximately 190 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that depend on the food bank for the food they give out,” Gordon said. “Due to increase of layoffs the amount has increased enormously this year.”
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