Winter 2021 Community Food Pantry Newsletter Learn How You're Helping Our Neighbors in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown |
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Covid has changed everything. Four times the clients. Twice the number of distributions. Safety mandates. Supply shortages. Here's why your gifts mean even more than before. |
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY "I used to work, but work ended for me last March. From what I see, it's getting worse. People are being cancelled from jobs inside. But the Food Pantry helps me a lot, especially at the end of the month. It makes my children's lives better. Many of the people who come have part time jobs, but that only pays half the expenses." | | |
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WHAT'S IN A BAG? " I need the rice, beans, oil, milk for my two children. I've been surviving with the minimum. I have some help with rent, but I need this food. I've been on my own since September." "With help from the pantry, we can eat every day, and during the daytime." . Monthly Food Pantry expenses now are $30,000. We have no paid staff -- this is all food costs. | | |
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OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED Before the pandemic, we served about 250 clients, once a month. By spring it was clear we needed to do more. With your help we were able to double the number of distributions, and saw the number or our clients increase to an average of 500 families, twice a month. At Thanksgiving and Christmastime we saw as many as 750 families per distribution. We had been serving 1,000 individuals, and because of your generous support we ended the year serving between 4,000 and 6,000 individuals per month. We are so grateful that your support has enabled us to respond to the increased need. But we are only reaching a fraction of those that need food, and that need will continue as the unemployment in this population continues to be 3X the level it was before the pandemic. Low income workers have been hit hardest. So many of our neighbors are one emergency away from financial disaster. |
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FUNDING CHALLENGES Pre-pandemic, we spent about $6000 per month on food. Several things have caused our expenses to increase by five. - We now distribute twice a month
- We are serving on average three times the number of clients at each distribution.
- Grants for some items like fresh vegetables are fixed and have not expanded. We have to buy more to help all clients in need.
- While we benefit from food drives, most of the food we distribute has always been purchased.
- Before the pandemic, Feeding Westchester was a significant supplier of discounted food. We had been able to order healthy staples like beans, rice, pasta, tuna, and frozen meat from them at an extremely low rate.
- Because of the pandemic, Feeding Westchester can no longer sell us healthy food in the quantities our clients need.
- We now purchase in bulk from restaurant suppliers and grocery stores. These are much more expensive options.
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| | THANK YOU, SUPPORTERS! Imagine how hopeless this situation would have been! But so many have heard the call to help. We are so grateful to our supporters, old and new. You have made it possible for us to provide hope and needed sustenance to our hungry neighbors. We have no paid staff. Every penny given goes to food, and we are spending every penny donated and using our reserves. Only through your generosity can we continue to meet the need. Individual givers remain anonymous, but follow the link below to see organizations and foundations who have stepped forward with generosity. | | |
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| | HOW MUCH? Your donations help us to pay for 13,000 pounds of food each month! "For the community, it's simply a necessity." "It would really be missed if it weren't here." "It means so much to have food in these times. There are many people in town who do not have money for rent and electricity and food." | | |
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