PRESS  RELEASES

• $68,000 TO 20 HUNGER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS
• $10,000 TO TWO PRE-SCHOOLS

White Plains, NY (June 16, 2016). The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester awarded a record $68,000 to twenty not-for-profit organizations that serve the hungry and food insecure in lower Westchester County.  Award winners – generally food pantries and soup kitchens – were selected based on their exceptional work in providing food and services to diverse communities in need. Each organization will receive grants of $1,000 to $6,000 in the form of credits for food purchased from the Food Bank for Westchester (FBFW). In addition, the Giving Circle provided $10,000 in funding to two preschools – New Rochelle Day Nursery and Yonkers-based Queens Daughters Daycare under the FBFW’s Green Thumb program.  Each of the two preschools will receive a monthly distribution of “Green Thumb Bags” containing 6-8 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables.  These grants advance a key priority of improving the nutritional value of food made available to youth at risk of hunger in Westchester County.  This is the second year the Giving Circle is providing such funding. The $78,000 total funding by the Giving Circle in 2016 represents a 10% increase over its 2015 grants of $71,000. The FBFW estimates that about 200,000 residents in the county are at risk of hunger or facing food insecurity. More than half of them are seniors and more than one-third are children under the age of 18.  Despite the improving economy, the need for hunger relief continues to grow. “Thanks to our generous members, the Giving Circle continues to expand its ability to fulfil our mission:  helping food pantries, soup kitchens and other frontline hunger relief organizations in lower Westchester.  It’s been gratifying to watch the Giving Circle rise to address this serious challenge in our local community,” said Eric Nodiff, founder and President. Explaining the Giving Circle, Nodiff said: “Members pool their contributions for the purpose of donating to a common philanthropic cause – hunger relief – based on the concept that larger, combined donations go further than several smaller individual checks.  Grants of even $1,000 can make a meaningful difference to the grant recipients. Membership is open to anyone with a desire to help in providing this vital service to our community.” Congratulations to the following 2016 Giving Circle of Lower Westchester award winners:

• Caritas of Port Chester Food Pantry – Port Chester
• Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry at So. Presbyterian Church – Dobbs Ferry
• Ecumenical Emergency Food Pantry of White Plains – White Plains
• El Centro Hispano Food Pantry – White Plains
• First Reformed Church Soup Kitchen – Mt. Vernon
• Lifting Up Westchester – White Plains
• Hillside Food Outreach – Pleasantville
• HOPE Community Services Food Pantry – New Rochelle
• Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force Food Pantry – Mamaroneck
• Masters Helping Hand Food Pantry – New Rochelle
• OLMC Elmsford Community Food Pantry – Elmsford
• Port Chester Carver Center Food Pantry – Port Chester
• Sacred Heart Food for the Hungry – Dobbs Ferry/Yonkers
• San Andres Episcopal Church Food Pantry – Yonkers
• St. Peter’s – St. Denis Food Pantry – Yonkers
• St Peters Neighborhood Dinner – Port Chester
• St. Thomas Brown Bag – Mamaroneck
• Sts. John, Paul and Clement Church Food Pantry – Mt. Vernon
• Union Baptist Church Food Pantry – Greenburgh
• Shiloh Baptist Church – New Rochelle

About The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester The Giving Circle is a volunteer, grass-roots 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization made up of more than 50 members who contribute a minimum of $250 toward grant recipient funding.  One hundred percent of the dollars raised goes directly to hunger relief.  For more information on the Giving Circle of Lower Westchester, contact Eric Nodiff at givingcirclelw@gmail.com.