1 in 5 Westchester residents – roughly 200,000 of us – are hungry or at risk for hunger. How is that possible? And what are we doing about it?
On a cold, rainy Tuesday in Port Chester, the savory scent of beef stew wafts across a kitchen of a community center.
“Ladies first!” a volunteer calls out. A half-dozen elderly women shuffle to the front, while the others who have been waiting—white, Latino, and African American men of all ages—form a line behind them. Soon, almost 70 people are sitting communally in front of steaming trays of stew, yellow rice, soup, salad, and fruit. For some, this hot lunch will be their last meal until the next day.
Caritas of Port Chester, the nonprofit agency that runs this soup kitchen, has been hopping since before 7 am, when a light break- fast, catering to the day laborers, is served. “If they’re lucky enough to get a job, they should at least have a cup of coffee and a roll in their stomachs to go for the day,” says Patricia Hart, a volunteer and board president at Caritas. Later, a warm breakfast is served to oth- ers who don’t have work—some of them homeless. Others sitting in the warm kitchen can only afford to share living space, renting the use of an apartment, or even just a bed, for a few hours a day.
Meanwhile, in the Center’s gymnasium, volunteers set up the food pantry. By the 9 am opening, the line is out the door and cli- ents, many of them young mothers with small children, are choos- ing groceries, produce, and bread. Families also sort through free clothing and shoes, organized by size and gender on tables in the middle of the room.