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Lifting Up Westchester and Caring for the Hungry & Homeless of Peekskill Form Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Services Across Westchester County

Longtime Nonprofit Partners Unify Under Co-CEO Leadership to Expand Impact

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. — Lifting Up Westchester (LUW) and Caring for the Hungry & Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP), two pillars of Westchester County’s social services and advocacy community, today announced a strategic partnership that merges their operational infrastructure while preserving each organization’s independent nonprofit status. Under the new structure, Cynthia Knox and Anahaita Kotval will serve as Co-CEOs of both organizations, unifying leadership across a combined network that serves more than 10,000 individuals annually.

The partnership brings together two organizations with complementary geographic footprints. CHHOP primarily serves Northern Westchester while LUW focuses on Central and Southern Westchester. Together, they provide a continuum of services – including emergency shelter, permanent housing, food access, job readiness, youth mentorship, and homelessness prevention – that now spans the full length of the county.

By consolidating management, payroll, human resources, finance, and development functions, the partnership creates administrative efficiencies designed to direct more resources toward programs and the people they serve. The transition will be implemented in thoughtful phases, with programs and staffing remaining intact throughout.

The partnership has drawn support from Westchester County government.

“The alliance between Lifting Up Westchester and Caring for the Hungry & Homeless of Peekskill is exactly the kind of bold, forward-thinking collaboration that ensures our most vulnerable residents continue to receive the support they need. I’m proud to see these two organizations lead the way. Westchester County is stronger when our nonprofit community works together.”
— Ken Jenkins, Westchester County Executive

Board leadership from both organizations sees the partnership as a deliberate step toward greater regional impact.

“We are combining our infrastructure so that both organizations benefit from greater efficiency and shared strength, and our clients benefit from increased resources and more seamless regional coordination of services.”
— John A. Smith, Board Chair, CHHOP

LUW’s board echoes that view and emphasizes that the partnership opens new possibilities for advocacy and innovation on behalf of the people both organizations serve.

“During this era of shifting and uncertain funding, our united organizations will have more opportunities, more resources, and a greater ability to coordinate services, advocate, and innovate for the people who need us most.”
— Janine Simon Daughtry, Board President, LUW

The organizations are formalizing what has long been true in practice. Their missions, values, and commitment to the people served are deeply aligned. LUW and CHHOP have chosen a unique path, growing stronger together rather than competing. In a county of nearly one million people, where the margin between stability and crisis can be thin, that choice truly matters.

About Lifting Up Westchester (LUW)

Founded in 1979, LUW is a nonprofit organization providing life-changing support to people who have lost their housing or are struggling to meet their other basic needs. Each year, the organization partners with men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and hunger to build a more secure future for themselves and their families. For more information, please visit www.liftingupwestchester.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

About Caring for the Hungry & Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP)

CHHOP’s ethos is that every person is entitled to safe, affordable housing and healthy, nutritious food. Since 1987, CHHOP’s work focuses on housing and food equity in Peekskill and the surrounding communities and supports people living with domestic violence, veterans experiencing homelessness, immigrants, people with mental health challenges, and other lower-income households. For more information, please visit www.CHHOP.org or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.