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Feeding Westchester Calls on Community for Hunger Action Month

Long-time Supporter Debbie Newman Bernstein to match September donations up to $50,000

Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will be lit up orange on September 12

“Hungry to Learn” panel on September 30:

The Impact of Childhood Hunger in Westchester & Innovative Solutions to Address It

ELMSFORD, NY | September 2, 2026 – September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide call to fight hunger. Right here in Westchester, 39% of households are struggling to put food on their tables¹—a staggering reminder that the rising cost of living, soaring food prices, and historic cuts to federal safety net programs are pushing more families to the brink.

“People across the country have demonstrated immense care for their neighbors in crisis time and time again, helping to build stronger, more resilient communities,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America.

“Ending the hunger crisis in America is no different. This Hunger Action Month, our hope for the nation is to start building a new reality together, through unified action toward a shared vision of a hunger free America.”

The crisis is urgent. More than 47 million Americans—including 14 million children—now face hunger, the highest level in over a decade. In Westchester, thousands of children are returning to school without the proper nutrition they need to focus, learn, and thrive.

“With deep cuts to SNAP ahead, we’re incredibly concerned for Westchester residents—including children, single parents, veterans, working families, and seniors—who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Tami Wilson, COO of Feeding Westchester. “As children head back to school, it is doubly important that we provide them with the nutrition they need to reach their full potential. Hunger is a crisis we can solve—if we act together, and act now.”

TAKE ACTION

There are many ways that Westchester residents can take action with us in the fight against hunger:

Make A Matched Donation to Feeding Westchester

https://feedingwestchester.org/get-involved/donate/

Donations made in September up to $50,000 will be matched by Debbie Newman Bernstein, a generous supporter of Feeding Westchester. Every dollar you give provides four meals to neighbors in need right here in our community.

• Nourishing Neighbor Monthly Giving Program
• One-time Gifts
• Other Ways To Give

Hunger Action High School Challenge

Westchester schools are encouraged to take action and challenge their rivals

• Wear orange and post your group photos on Social accounts
• Make it personal: challenge your rival schools to try to match your Hunger Action spirit

Feeding Westchester’s Hunger Action Month Calendar

• WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10:  The Business Council of Westchester Board Meeting at Feeding Westchester
• FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12:  Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Lighting
  • The bridge will be showered in brilliant orange light building awareness of Hunger Action Month as commuters and travelers begin their weekend drives
• SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13:  Feeding Our Families
  • Starting at 8 AM, the community can visit their local Stop & Shop and donate most-needed, frequently requested non-perishable items
  • Feeding Westchester partners with NBC4, Telemundo, Stop & Shop, and several of our local Partner Agencies for this annual event to collect food from Stop & Shop customers throughout the tri-state area, including 13 Westchester Stop & Shop locations
• SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14: Lighthouse Swim, benefiting Feeding Westchester and other local charities
  • Challenging three-mile swim starts in Nyack and ends in historic Sleepy Hollow
  • Registration open until September 11
• THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 6:30pm, The Coliseum, White Plains: Comics for a Cause—a night of comedy benefiting Feeding Westchester!
• • Four comedians perform live, hosted by The Giving Circle of Lower Westchester
    • Paul Warhit
    • Jackie Saril
    • Mitch Benson
    • Luz Michelle
    • Lloyd Robinson, Emcee
  • Tickets and Sponsorships available
• TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 5:30pm at Feeding Westchester:  Hungry to Learn Discussion Panel
  • An eye-opening look at childhood hunger in Westchester and the innovative ways we are driving change to address It
  • Panelists scheduled to participate:
    • Allison Fasano | Teacher | Port Chester Middle School
    • Dr. Emily Koelsch | Pediatrician | Child Care Council of Westchester
    • Monique Marshall, MS, RDN, CD-N | Nutritionist | Feeding Westchester
    • Krista Hesdorfer, MPA | Advocate | Hunger Solutions New York
    • Melissa Rodriguez | Principal | Enrico Fermi School
    • Danielle DeMaio | Moderator | Feeding Westchester Board Member
  • Live attendance by invitation only; post-event video will be shared

Other Ways To Help…During Hunger Action Month…or Anytime

Feeding Westchester | Other Ways to Help Fight Hunger

• Volunteer opportunities for community organizations
• Student Involvement Projects
• Help From Home food packing program
• Start a Food Drive with #GiveHealthy
• Make your voice heard!  Visit our Advocacy page and sign-up for Action Alerts

Take action and join us in the fight against hunger in Westchester County!

###

Feeding Westchester serves Westchester County, providing food to a hunger-relief network of 175 partners. With a mission to nourish our neighbors in the fight against hunger, the organization sources and distributes good, nutritious food and other resources to wherever it is needed most.

In fiscal year 2025, Feeding Westchester provided more than 21 million pounds of food, equivalent to more than 17 million meals through soup kitchens, food pantries, schools, shelters, residential programs, and mobile distributions.

That served an average of 235,000 neighbor visits – including visits from children, seniors, veterans, and hardworking families – every month. The nonprofit, a 4-star Charity Navigator organization, is committed to creating a community where all people have access to the food they need today, and the fundamental resources to build a better tomorrow.

Feeding Westchester is located at 200 Clearbrook Road, Elmsford, NY 10523. For more information, or to donate, visit feedingwestchester.org.

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY TO HOST INTERFAITH PRAYER VIGIL

(White Plains, NY) – Westchester County will host an Interfaith Prayer Vigil to honor the memory of those who perished in the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses. Faith leaders from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim communities will lead prayers, followed by candle lighting and a wreath-laying ceremony at the steel beam from the Twin Towers.

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Interfaith Prayer Vigil

September 10, 2025
5 p.m.
Kensico Dam Plaza
The Rising & 9/11 First Responders Memorial

  The Event will be Streamed Live on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/westchestergov/

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Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Enjoying this newsletter? Why not share it with a friend? Covid-19 state vaccine access, flu on the horizon, grandparents to the rescue, Florida’s school requirement rollback, food safety cuts, and more The Dose (September 8) Katelyn Jetelina and Hannah Totte, MPH Sep 9 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION READ IN APP Welcome to this week’s update (a day late because I spent the weekend fully unplugging with friends—highly recommend). Here’s what’s on the radar: Covid-19 summer wave, with flu peeking around the corner. Also, a patchwork of state vaccine access for Covid-19 vaccines, Florida’s decision to scrap school immunization requirements, and grandparents organizing for their grandkids’ health. Sprinkle in a scaled-down food safety system and a dose of fall foliage science, and you’ve got the picture. Let’s dive in! (WPCNR EDITOR’S NOTE: VACCINES FOR COVID BOOSTER AND FLU AVAILABLE IN PHARMACIES WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION. I got my new COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINATION and FLU Shot Sunday in White Plains New York USA. Two days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an Executive Order directing all pharmacies to administer the  newest covid vaccine booster shots and flu vaccines, I walked in to CVS Sunday  and got both shots, available during the CVS Pharmacy hours AT 325 Mamaroneck Avenue. Call CVS if you have any questions as to who can get the new Covid-19 booster. The pharmacy checks to see if you are within the time frame to receive the booster. The qualified vaccination specialist checks with your medical provider to see your vaccination history and after administering the shot, notifies your health care provider you have received, (in my case) the vaccine covid booster and current 2025-26 flu shot. Now on to Dr. Katelyn Jetelina and Dr. Hannah Tote’s Report. Disease “weather” report Covid-19: The summer wave continues nationally, still at a moderate level. Growth is slowing overall, but the South and West (especially Florida and Hawaii) remain hotspots. Wastewater levels are still climbing in these states, suggesting we’re not quite at the peak, though we may be getting close. Covid-19 Wastewater Levels. Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist RSV: Still quiet nationwide. Historically, activity kicks off in the Southeast first—nothing is moving there yet. Flu: Starting to stir, especially in the South. Outpatient visits haven’t hit the 3% epidemic threshold that marks the official start of flu season, but activity is creeping upward, particularly among kids. Influenza-like illnesses, United States, by year. Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist What does this mean for you? Wearing a mask in indoor crowded areas will help avoid viruses, especially Covid-19 right now. If you start to feel the sniffles, test before seeing grandparents at the nursing home. Also, this is the time to start planning for fall vaccines. For your options and ideal timing, go here for your 2025 guide for Fall vaccines. Covid-19 vaccine access: A patchwork quilt Right now, access to Covid-19 vaccines depends on your address. Even on-label people (ages 65+ or under 65 with high-risk conditions) face different rules across state lines. Off-label access (younger, lower-risk adults) is essentially blocked everywhere at pharmacies, except in a few states that acted quickly, like Massachusetts. Why the patchwork? Many state laws link vaccine access directly to guidance from FDA or ACIP (the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices). But in June, ACIP was replaced with members handpicked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and they declined to vote on Covid-19 vaccine recommendations. Their next meeting is set for next week. Until that happens, guidance is stalled, leaving state statutes tied to ACIP in limbo and creating uneven access across the country. Business as usual (green in map below): Pharmacies and physician offices can vaccinate people ages 65+ and high risk without extra hurdles. Prescription required (purple below): Patients need a doctor’s order before getting vaccinated at a pharmacy, even if they are 65+ or high risk. The good news is that many states have been taking action (diagonal lines below) to move from “purple” to “green.” They’ve used several levers, including changing legislation expanding pharmacist authority (e.g., Colorado), to executive orders overriding restrictions (Massachusetts, New York, New Mexico), to pharmacy board directives filling gaps (Pennsylvania, Nevada, Kentucky). Off-label access (i.e., if you’re under 65 and not high risk; not shown on the map) is still going to be highly restricted in almost all states, for now. Massachusetts is one exception. What’s next? If ACIP votes to recommend broad Covid-19 vaccine use next week, many access barriers could lift for on-label patients (purple states above), though off-label access (not shown) would still depend on state action. If ACIP restricts use—or recommends against it—confusion and inequities will deepen. Even “business as usual” states like California are preparing for downstream challenges, especially with insurance coverage. If you’re in CA or NY, follow our state-level newsletters for updates. Matt (CA) and Marisa (NY) are really staying on top of the local context. California YLE newsletter here New York YLE newsletter here Florida’s school vaccine requirements: More than shots at stake Florida is set to become the first state to end school immunization requirements. The timing and process remain unclear, but the implications are not. Figure from the New York Times For decades, every state required vaccines for school entry because requirements increase vaccination rates, prevent outbreaks, and keep classrooms open. Even today, support is high, including in Florida. Data from last month shows: 81% of Americans support school immunization requirements for diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio, with some medical and religious exemptions. In Florida, 82% say public schools should require these vaccines. This means that Florida’s move doesn’t reflect parents’ opinions; it reflects politics. When Florida drops school entry requirements, vaccination rates will fall—and the ripple effects go far beyond vaccines. These requirements get kids into pediatricians’ offices. Many families delay care until it becomes necessary, and kindergarten is a well-documented trigger: epidemiologists consistently see a sharp spike in vaccine uptake at age five. Without this nudge, many children—whether due to parental hesitancy, barriers, or busy lives—would remain undervaccinated. The broader health impacts are just as serious. Pediatric visits tied to vaccines are often when doctors: Screen for developmental delays Catch undiagnosed asthma, anemia, or vision/hearing problems Connect families to services like nutrition counseling or lead testing Detect child abuse or neglect, often for the first time Without school requirements, fewer children will receive needed medical care. What this means for you: Vaccination rates in Florida will likely decline. If your child is up to date, they are very well protected. Long-term protection depends on the vaccine and disease: measles shots last a lifetime, while whooping cough protection fades more quickly, for example. Grandparents take the mic. Think Moms Against Drunk Driving, but for polio and measles. A new grassroots group of grandparents just launched to protect kids’ vaccine access. They’re driven by lived experience—remembering when these diseases ran rampant—and are elevating their stories. Fueled by personal experiences, they are asking for support and stories. Learn more and join them here! Food Safety: Fewer eyes on the plate On July 1—unbeknownst to the public—the CDC scaled down its Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which actively monitors foodborne illness in 10 states. FoodNet reduced the pathogens it tracks from eight to just two: Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). Infections from other common pathogens, like Campylobacter and Listeria, are no longer tracked. The CDC maintains that individual states and other programs like the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Listeria Initiative can still monitor these pathogens, and that the cut lets them “prioritize core activities.” Food safety experts, on the other hand, warn that unlike FoodNet’s active surveillance, those other surveillance programs are passive—they rely on states to report cases. Bottom line: The cuts may slow outbreak detection and response, and make it harder for the CDC to see the full picture of food safety trends at the national level. Check state-level resources to learn of outbreaks and foods to steer clear of. Question grab bag “My almost 5 year old really wants to go to Disney World and we promised her a trip this January. Then FL decided to do away with vaccine mandates. Thoughts on keeping the trip? Maybe it won’t have much effect come January [or] maybe Disney will require vaccine cards? She’s fully vaccinated btw.” You should definitely still keep your trip. It’s not clear when this will go into effect, and it will take a while for vaccine coverage to decline. The calculus may change if outbreaks emerge, but right now your fully vaccinated child is well protected. Have fun! “What should be the time period between Covid vaccinations? We had the last one in mid- May. Both of us are over 65.” About six months. In your case, that works out perfectly—your next dose will be due in November, likely right before the winter wave picks up. That’s ideal timing. In case fall leaves make you as happy as me… The 2025 Fall Foliage Prediction Map is here! September kicks off leaf-chasing season. I hope you’re able to sneak away to take a look this fall. I’ll be living leaf season vicariously from San Diego. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash Bottom line That’s your update for the week: Covid-19 vaccines tied in legal knots, Florida testing “freedom” against measles, CDC slimming down food safety, and grandparents stepping up. And one thing that is right on track: fall leaves. Love, YLE

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Bill Package Includes Measure To Ensure Protections for New York Workers in Midst of Federal Uncertainty

The package of bills will help create good paying union jobs and strengthen protections for workers across the state.

In the absence of a functional National Labor Relations Board under the Trump Administration, the package of bills also includes legislation that seeks to preserve worker rights here in New York. The Governor highlighted the bill signings ahead of New York City’s famous Labor Day Parade.

“Our union laborers are the lifeblood of New York, working tirelessly to continue to build and uplift this great state,” Governor Hochul said. 

“While the Trump Administration has failed to prioritize a strong National Labor Relations Board and is dismantling unions left and right, here in New York we are taking strong action to protect worker rights and sending a clear message that we will always have the backs of New York’s workers.”

The package of bills includes:

• Legislation S.8034A/A8590A which authorizes the New York State Public Employment Relations Board to assert jurisdiction over disputes between employers and recognized employee organizations if the National Labor Relations Board is unable to successfully assert jurisdiction.

• Legislation S.5254/A.6612 which protects public unions from a wage reduction due to their involvement in the investigation of a violation of a workplace violence protection program.

• Legislation S.12/A.779 which amends the Civil Service Law to strengthen protections for public unions during times of suspensions and workforce layoffs.

• Legislation S.2457B/A3999B which establishes the Mechanical Insulation Energy Savings Program to provide grants for qualified mechanical insulation expenditures to school districts.

• Legislation A.2730A requires contractors and subcontractors performing construction work for covered renewable energy systems to have apprenticeship agreements. This legislation also requires thermal energy networks to require contractors and subcontractors to have pre-apprenticeship direct entry providers registered with the New York State Department of Labor.

Public Employee Relations Board Chair Timothy Connick said, “As the current administration continues to sideline longstanding labor institutions like the National Labor Relations Board, it is more important than ever that New York State step up to defend the rights of workers and create fair venues to resolve labor disputes. PERB stands ready to fill the void left by Trump’s NLRB and protect the rights of workers and organized labor across the state.”

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Governor Will Partner With Legislature on Long Term Solution To Protect Immunization Access in New York

In the face of attacks on science and healthcare from the federal government, Governor Kathy Hochul today is taking steps to protect vaccine access across New York State.

With the availability of COVID shots under imminent threat, the Governor today signed an Executive Order that will allow pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines, providing access for all New Yorkers who wish to be vaccinated.

The Executive Order will be in place for at least 30 days while a long-term legislative solution is developed to address access to all vaccines in order to combat the Trump Administration’s misguided attack on immunization and healthcare.

“I promised New Yorkers that their family would be my fight. In the absence of federal leadership, we must do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and preventative healthcare they have come to rely on,” Governor Hochul said. “By signing this executive order, we are sending a clear message that when Washington Republicans play politics with public health, New Yorkers can still get the care they need, close to home, from trusted providers in their own communities.”

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said,

“Governor Hochul’s Executive Order provides access to the COVID vaccine for New Yorkers who choose to get vaccinated, sets us up for a smoother transition to the updated 2025-26 vaccine and restores pharmacies as a vital part of our vaccination network. While New York State does not require COVID vaccines, vaccination remains one of the most effective tools we have to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID.”

The Trump Administration’s Federal Vaccine Restrictions

Most pharmacies in New York rely on “standing orders” — non-patient-specific prescriptions that give them authority to administer vaccines to broad groups of people. These standing orders are typically based on recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Just this summer, the federal government pulled more than $500 million in mRNA vaccine funding — undoing what had once been considered a signature achievement of the first Trump Administration — creating further uncertainty around access.

In June, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced a majority of ACIP members with individuals known to oppose vaccination. Since then, ACIP has not issued updated guidance for the 2025-26 COVID vaccine and is not scheduled to meet until September 18.

Without that federal guidance, many pharmacies in New York began restricting access to the COVID vaccine, particularly for:

• Children ages 3–17
• Pregnant people
• Adults under age 65 without underlying conditions

Governor Hochul’s Executive Order addresses this gap by declaring a 30-day statewide emergency and expanding who can prescribe and administer COVID vaccines. The EO allows physicians and nurse practitioners to issue patient-specific or non-patient-specific orders to pharmacists for patients as young as age three, expands pharmacists’ authority to administer vaccines to children under 18, and, for the first time, permits pharmacists to prescribe COVID vaccines themselves. Together, these actions ensure that all eligible New Yorkers — including children, pregnant people, and healthy adults under 65 — can continue to receive COVID vaccinations at their local pharmacy without delay.

The Executive Order is part of Governor Hochul’s long-term strategy to protect access to vaccinations in New York. The Governor will begin working with the Legislature on a legislative solution that will ensure permanent and continuing access to vaccines, including administration of vaccines by health care professionals, school immunization schedules, and insurance coverage of vaccines.

Governor Hochul’s Executive Order Will Accomplish the Following:

• Allow physicians and nurse practitioners to prescribe and order a patient-specific or non-patient-specific regimen for pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines to patients age three or older.
• Authorize pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines to patients age three or older pursuant to a patient-specific or non-patient-specific order.
• Allow pharmacists to prescribe and order COVID vaccines for patients age three or older — a new authority that enables them to prescribe off-label.

To support this expansion, Commissioner McDonald will also be issuing a standing order for the COVID vaccine, ensuring that pharmacists statewide can continue to provide timely and convenient access. In the coming days, Commissioner McDonald and the Department of Health will issue detailed guidance to support pharmacies, clinicians and other vaccine administrators.

New York is also working in coordination with — and helping to lead — a regional multi-state public health collaboration among Northeast states, which brings together public health leaders across the region to develop evidence-based recommendations and approaches on vaccination, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness. The collaborative also supports state public health laboratories in sharing resources and expertise to strengthen regional readiness.