Corporation Donations Continue to Support the Food Bank for Westchester

The Darden Foundation, The Pampered Chef and The Cheesecake Factory Share Same Goal of Ending Hunger

Throughout the year the Food Bank for Westchester benefits from the support of hundreds of organizations, including corporations, foundations, schools, and others. These partners help make a difference in the lives of the estimated 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of hunger.

“Donations to the Food Bank peak around Thanksgiving and Christmas, then fall off during the year,” said Ellen Lynch, Executive Director, Food Bank for Westchester, “so we are thankful for the generosity of our partners in their corporate giving initiatives who continue to support us. Hunger is a year round reality for far too many families.”

Recently, the Food Bank received donations from three major food-related corporations:

The Darden Foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to the Food Bank. Darden’s Restaurant Community Grants program enables each restaurant in the Darden family, which includes recognizable brands such as Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Yard House, to strengthen relationships and contribute to the well-being of its community. The Yard House at Ridge Hill previously donated nearly $3,000 to the Food Bank in 2011 when the restaurant conducted a Round-Up campaign where customers were asked to round up their bills to donate to the Food Bank in celebration of the restaurant’s opening. The donation will be used immediately to support the Food Bank’s core mission – to get more food out to hungry residents.

Continuing the “Round Up” model, The Pampered Chef contributed $1,975 to the Food Bank for Westchester. This program encourages customers to round up their product orders to the nearest dollar or more.

The Food Bank also received two donations from The Cheesecake Factory totaling $3965. The Cheesecake Factory donated $0.25 for every slice of its new Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake sold and staff members participated in an Employee Peanut Butter Drive which helped support back to school lunches for hungry children. 

To find out about the many ways that your company/corporation can partner with the Food Bank and make an impact on the hunger issue in Westchester County, please contact Katy Coppinger, Senior Director of Development at katy.coppinger@foodbankforwestchester.org. or visit, www.foodbankforwestchester.org.  

About the Food Bank for Westchester

Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight food banks in New York State. It acquires warehouses and distributes more than 7 million pounds of food annually to 265 frontline hunger-relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and residential programs serving the 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of being hungry. Based in Elmsford, NY, the Food Bank is located in a 36,000sf warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest refrigerator and freezer. For more information, visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org.

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