16 Groups Receive Total of $59,500 from Giving Circle of Lower Westchester

The following release is from the Giving Circle of Lower Westchester:

The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester (GCLW) awarded a record breaking $59,500 to sixteen not-for-profit organizations that serve the hungry in lower Westchester County. Award winners were selected based on their exceptional work in providing food and services to diverse communities in need. Each organization will receive grants of $2,500 to $5,000 through credits for food purchases from the Food Bank for Westchester.

The Food Bank for Westchester estimates that about 200,000 residents in the county are at risk of hunger or facing food insecurity. Over half of them are seniors and more than one-third are children under the age of 18.The need for hunger relief continues to grow

Greenburg resident Eric Nodiff decided to take action when he founded the GCLW in 2011 to address this growing problem by making grants to non-profit organizations that provide front-line hunger relief services to lower Westchester County residents. The Giving Circle is a volunteer, grass-roots not-for-profit organization made up of 35 members who contribute a minimum of $250 toward grant recipient funding. One hundred percent of the dollars raised goes directly to hunger relief. The Giving Circle has increased its donations from $35,000 last year to this year’s record-breaking $59,500.

In early 2014, the GCLW sent grant applications to over 100 hunger relief organizations throughout lower Westchester that meet health and reporting guidelines. Members of the LWGC grant committee reviewed the applications, visited a select group for further screening and narrowed down the final number of grant awards to sixteen.

“Thanks to our generous members, the Giving Circle continues to expand its ability to fulfil our mission: helping food pantries, soup kitchens and mobile pantries fight hunger in lower Westchester. It’s been gratifying to watch the GCLW rise to address this serious challenge in our local community,” said Nodiff.

Explaining the Giving Circle, Nodiff said: “Members pool their contributions for the purpose of donating to a common philanthropic cause, based on the concept that larger, combined donations go further than several smaller individual checks. Our grants of $2,500 to $5,000 can make a meaningful difference to the grant recipients. Our membership is open to anyone with a desire to help in providing this vital service to our community.”

Congratulations to the following 2014 GCLW award winners:

· Saints John, Paul & Clement Church - Mount Vernon

· Ecumenical Emergency Food Pantry of White Plains - White Plains

· Hope Community Services - New Rochelle

· OLMC Elmsford Community Food Pantry - Elmsford

· First Reformed Church - Mount Vernon

· South Greenburgh Presbyterian Church - Dobbs Ferry

· Yonkers Community Action Program - Yonkers

· Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown - Tarrytown

· El Centro Hispano - White Plains

· Port Chester Carver Center - Port Chester

· Sacred Heart Food Pantry - Mount Vernon

· Sacred Heart Food for the Hungry - Dobbs Ferry

· San Andres Food Pantry - Yonkers

· St Peter’s Food Pantry - Yonkers

· YWCA of Yonkers - Yonkers

· Caritas of Port Chester - Port Chester

The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. For more information on the Giving Circle of Lower Westchester, contact Eric Nodiff at givingcirclelw@gmail.com.