With these latest grants, The Trust’s Westchester office has made more than $3.3 million in grants this year to support nonprofits working to create a healthier and more equitable county.
Contact:
Emily Karol
Development Director, Westchester
(914) 948-5166
ekarol@thenytrust.org
Lauren Stewart, Turn Two
(804) 690-9966
lauren@turn-two.co
HARTSDALE, NY (December 16, 2024) – The New York Community Trust- Westchester, New York’s largest community foundation today announced more than $1.3 million in new grants to 25 nonprofits working to meet Westchester County’s pressing needs, from addressing food insecurity to increasing access to culturally sensitive mental health care and building the capacity of home-based child care providers.
With these latest grants, The Trust’s Westchester office has made more than $3.3 million in grants this year to support nonprofits working to create a healthier and more equitable county.
The grants are fueled by the generosity of hundreds of donors who have established permanent funds at The New York Community Trust or given to its Community Needs Fund, which accepts contributions of any size to support local nonprofits.
With high food costs due to inflation, one in three households in Westchester County are at risk of food insecurity and live paycheck to paycheck. Food pantries across the county are reporting financial challenges as they struggle to meet increasing needs.
Three grants, totaling $440,000, will strengthen the county’s food distribution system.
A grant to the Episcopal Charities of the Diocese of New York will allow the organization to buy food in bulk to help 11 Westchester feeding programs serve meals to people in need over the next two years. Trust funding also will help the nonprofit partner with farmers in the Hudson Valley to provide nutritious meals that reflect the cultural dishes of the communities served.
The Trust also is supporting Second Chance Foods Inc., which recovers and distributes nutritious surplus food from grocery stores and regional farms, and Hillside Food Outreach, which delivers healthy food to households that cannot otherwise access traditional pantries.
“As more and more neighbors struggle to feed their families, we’re grateful for the creativity and resolve of local nonprofits and proud to be able to support their efforts to help get nutritious meals to people in need across the county,” said Laura Rossi, The Trust’s executive director for Westchester. “We’re also grateful to the many donors who made this support possible through gifts of all sizes—it’s a truly heartening reminder of the power of collective generosity.”
This round of grants also will support organizations working to have a positive impact on behavioral health, education, human justice, social services, youth development, and arts and culture.
As the community foundation for NYC, Long Island, and Westchester, The Trust brings together the contributions and passions of donors past and present to address the region’s immediate challenges and advance long-term systemic change.
The following is a list of the grants announced today. Longer descriptions of the programs supported are available upon request. The Westchester office also contributed to a group of grants to help advance systems and policy changes to benefit New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
Behavioral Health
SPEAK, Inc: $75,000 to increase access to culturally sensitive mental health care for Asian American and Pacific Islander youth.
Education
All Our Kin: $55,000 to build the capacity of home-based child care providers in Westchester.
Historic Hudson Valley: $27,000 to teach fourth and fifth graders the history of slavery.
Seneca Nation of Indians: $50,000 to provide Seneca language and culture instruction for children of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
Human Justice
Worker Justice Center of New York: $100,000 to provide legal counseling and representation for low-wage workers who are victims of workplace abuse.
Social Services
Open Arms for Refugees: $40,000 to support refugee resettlement in Ossining.
Hunger and Homelessness
Episcopal Charities of the Diocese of New York: $200,000 to help Westchester food pantries acquire affordable food, including fresh produce, proteins, and other healthy items.
Second Chance Foods, Inc: $120,000 to reduce food insecurity and food waste.
Hillside Food Outreach: $120,000 to deliver healthy food to low-income, medically compromised and home-bound Westchester residents.
Youth Development
Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester: $70,000 to expand a program that builds resiliency, responsibility, and self-advocacy skills for young people ages 8 to 18.
Brooklyn Steppers: $20,000 to expand a drumline program for young people in Mount Vernon.
Center for Justice Innovation: $90,000 to bring a violence-reduction program to youth in New Rochelle.
League of Women Voters: $6,000 to encourage young women to pursue careers in public service.
Pelham Art Center: $25,000 to support a teen leadership development program.
Jewish Community Center on the Hudson: $30,000 to support a teen leadership program in Tarrytown.
Westchester Youth Alliance: $50,000 to continue expansion of a youth leadership and service program.
Westchester Jewish Community Services: $26,000 to provide emergency cash assistance to support the basic needs of poor Jewish youth.
Arts & Culture
Arts Westchester: $25,000 to present an exhibition of photography by two German-born artists living in Westchester called “Importing Bauhaus”.
Bethany Arts: $35,000 to support private studio space, housing and the opportunity to work in community with Bethany staff and resident artists for four months.
Clay Art Center: $40,000 to support two year-long fellowships for emerging artists.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival: $50,000 to support five fellows.
Downtown Music at Grace: $10,000 to support free noonday concerts in White Plains.
Hudson Valley Singers: $10,000 to support performances of music by Strauss and Schumann.
New Westchester Symphony Orchestra: $10,500 to support a series of Germanic concerts.
Environment
Riverkeeper: $95,000 to coordinate a countywide campaign for sewer consolidation.
About The New York Community Trust
As New York’s largest community foundation, The New York Community Trust fosters and engages in enduring and innovative philanthropy, making grants that bring together the diverse, local knowledge and expertise of its team, nonprofits, and partners to help donors fulfill their vision for the causes they love. From education and the arts to health care and the environment, The New York Community Trust seeks to improve every aspect of the cultural and civic life of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. The New York Community Trust celebrates 100 years of impact and looks forward to the next 100 years of improving life for New Yorkers. This is philanthropy for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers.
