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Coronavirus News: Feeding Westchester hosting drive-thru food distribution event

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Feeding Westchester hosting drive-thru food distribution event

Feeding Westchester is hosting a drive-thru food distribution of New York agricultural products Thursday to help people in need of food assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ELMSFORD, Westchester County (WABC) -- Feeding Westchester is hosting a drive-thru food distribution of New York agricultural products Thursday to help people in need of food assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event is part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's Nourish New York initiative, which provides $25 million for food banks across the state to procure products produced in New York.

It is being held until 1 p.m. at Feeding Westchester, located at 200 Clearbrook Road in Elmsford.

Amid the unprecedented surge in demand for food assistance across New York State, the Nourish New York initiative aims to quickly reroute New York's surplus agricultural products to the populations who need them through the state's food banks.

It also provides economic relief for the state's food producers and farmers who have lost markets as a result of school and restaurant closures.

Through the program, Feeding Westchester has purchased more than 40,000 pounds of surplus dairy products from New York farmers.

The food bank serves around 300 families at its drive-thru distributions each week, reaching more than 1,000 people at each one.

Feeding Westchester has seen the need more than double from a year ago, distributing nearly 5 million pounds of food since March 2.

The number of people living with food insecurity has increased from about 200,000 before the pandemic to more than 500,000 - in a county of 1 million people.