Programs & Services

The purpose of the Coalition is multifaceted. Its primary focus is on empowering member agencies in their quest to feed all hungry and homeless persons who come to their doors. The difficulties of this task are reflected in the fact that more than 35% of the agencies who supplied statistics for 2000 reported having to turn people away because of lack of food.

The Coalition is composed of 141 emergency food providers and shelters in Westchester County, New York. Our goals and objectives are:

• Increase public awareness of the escalating crisis associated with hunger and homelessness in Westchester county;
• Inform hungry and homeless persons about food programs available to them, as well as assistance to which they are entitled (e.g. food stamps, WIC);
• Make technical assistance available to newly opened programs (25 additional programs have been added to our list of agencies within the last 2 years);
• Connect volunteers with programs that can use their help; provide pantries and kitchens with a monthly forum to discuss their problems and gain information on food and funding for their organizations; promote legislative action for systematic change;
• Collect data on hungry and homeless persons in the County and the agencies which serve them and raise and distribute funds in the form of grants to member agencies. All of these tasks are accomplished by two full-time staff persons and one part-time person to coordinate our Eviction Prevention Program. Board members and volunteers from the community donate many valuable hours of service.