Tasteful Evening of Great Music to Benefit Three Non-Profit Organizations Helping to End Hunger in Westchester

On September 28, 2014, the benefit Bluegrass Meets Jazz Food Drive will provide support to three pivotal organizations helping to eradicate hunger in Westchester, the Food Bank for Westchester, Grace Church Community Center and Shepherd’s Flock.

Performing at the event will be acclaimed jazz guitar duo Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub. Bluegrass maestro Orrin Star will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Accomplished fiddler Travis Wetzel will also play an inspiring set of songs. The event will take place from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Vintage Lounge and Restaurant, 171 Main Street, White Plains, NY. For admission, please bring a bag with $20 worth of non-perishable food. Cash and checks will also be accepted.

According to experts, hunger is a serious issue in affluent Westchester County, though the problem remains largely hidden. 1 in 5 families will need some form of food assistance this year, a total of 200,000 individuals. One-third of them children will be children.

While many people equate hunger to homelessness, the reality is that most hungry individuals simply don’t earn enough to make ends meet, especially in a county like Westchester where the cost of living is so high. More and more are being forced to turn to food pantries, soup kitchens and food stamps to ensure that they get enough to eat. Since 2012, 20 new food pantries have been established in Westchester and many of them are unable to keep up with the growing need.

In 2013, the federal government cut benefits under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, though the number of households in Westchester receiving the service had risen 65% from 2000 to 2009 to over 54,000 people(1). Current estimates are as high as 83,000 (2).

The Food Bank for Westchester, Grace Church Community Center and Shepherd’s Flock stand at the forefront of tackling the pervasive issue of hunger in Westchester County.

The Food Bank for Westchester, based in Elmsford, serves as the central repository and distribution center for emergency food donations in the county. It acquires donations, packages the items at its warehouse and distributes food to more than 265 hunger relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and adult, child-care and treatment centers. The organization receives an average of 102,000 requests for food per month and distributes more than 7.5 million pounds of food annually.

Located in the heart of downtown White Plains, a few doors up the street from Vintage Lounge and Restaurant, the site of the benefit, Grace Church Community Center operates the largest soup kitchen in White Plains. The soup kitchen which offers provides free mid-day meals five days a week and on all holidays and provides 20,000 meals every year. No one is ever turned away. The agency provides an additional 100,000 meals to the hungry through its two shelters and its programs for homeless and disadvantaged children.

Founded in 2011, Shepherd’s Flock is the outreach ministry of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion in White Plains. The non-sectarian, community-based organization partners with more than 30 agencies to assist working poor families ineligible for government programs to address the needs of working poor families with the goal of helping them advance to financial self-sufficiency. The all-volunteer staff ensures that donations go directly to those in need.

Helping to highlight the cause, blue chip musical entertainment acts are booked to perform at the benefit.

Virtuoso jazz guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub have reached the pinnacle of their field. Pizzarelli has collaborated with Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra and Benny Goodman, among other musical giants. Ed Laub has played with Kenny Rankin and Frank Vignola, along with many other top-flight musicians. He released a recent recording, “Soft Guitar,” with longtime performance partner Pizzarelli.

Award-winning guitarist and mandolin player Orrin Star, who specializes in bluegrass music, has received many accolades throughout his career. The Boston Heraldcalled him a “consummate showman” and the Boston Globe referred to him as “one of the finest flatpickers in captivity.” Well-regarded as a teacher, he has recorded several instructional DVD’s and continues to perform around the world.

Travis Wetzel is a virtuoso fiddle player who is adept at bluegrass, jazz, country and Irish music. He has performed with bluegrass titans Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson and Rhonda Vincent, among others, and is currently on tour with bluegrass legend Jesse McReynolds. He has released nine CD’s throughout his career.

Photo: Ed Laub and Bucky Pizzarelli

About Grace Community Center, Inc

Grace Church Community Center, Inc. (GCCC) is a non-sectarian, community-based 501 (c ) (3) organization that assists Westchester County’s neediest and most at-risk residents, particularly those who are underserved by existing resources. It is one of the largest social services agencies in Westchester County and has been fulfilling its mission since 1979 through the operation of eight community-based programs. Each year, the agency serves 3,900 men, women and children and provides 120,000 free meals to the hungry and 27,000 nights of shelter to the homeless. GCCC strives to turn no one away.

About the Food Bank for Westchester
Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight regional food banks in New York State. It acquires, warehouses and distributes more than 7.2 million pounds of food annually to 265 frontline hunger-relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and residential programs serving the estimated 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of being hungry. Based in Elmsford, NY, the Food Bank is located in a 37,000sf warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest refrigerator and freezer. For more information, visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org.

Press Contacts:

Food Bank
Juliana Wynohradny, Thompson & Bender, (914) 762-1900 Juliana@thompson-bender.com

Grace Church Community Cener
Chris Schwartz, Grace Church, 914-949-3098 ext. 9737, ChrisSchwartz@gcccares.org

Blue Grass Meet Jazz Food Drive Event
Mike Dardano, BuzzPotential, 914-588-6752, mjdardao@gmail.com

(1) Latest data from 2009
(2) Data on Households Served provided by Westchester County Dept. of Social Services, 1/31/12