As the government shutdown dragged into November, Rye resident Laura Pellegrini was done waiting for someone else to step up.
On Oct. 30, she and Rye resident Kelly Janscki got to work organizing a food drive, starting with the Rye Moms Facebook group and then as a town-wide effort with one simple goal: “‘Fill the gap between the SNAP,’” she said. “That was our motto.”
On Election Day, local food pantries received an emergency food donation from individuals, schools, congregations, and other community organizations. The food drive continues, with collections being staggered across different Rye organizations so as not to overrun the pantries.
“ We’re blessed to have many food drives coming throughout the year, this one in particular,” said Sue Wexler, director of community outreach at the Bread of Life food bank. “Just the way it came together so quickly and how many people helped.”
For nearly 42 million Americans, including at least 73,000 in Westchester, food assistance was put on hold Nov. 1 when the federal government shut down. While New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Nov. 7 that in New York, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments would be made, the two weeks between the start of the month and the end of the shutdown on Nov. 12 marked a period of extreme uncertainty for those without money for groceries.
At Bread of Life, that strain was visible.
“ Last Monday, in the 12 years I’ve been doing this, was the busiest one I’ve ever seen,” Wexler said. “We fed over 2,000 people.”
The food drive in Rye has helped keep shelves stocked at local food banks. Wexler described Bread of Life as being filled to the ceiling. She credits Pellegrini and her partner-in-good-works Jancski, as well as Rye Moms, which she jokingly compared to the Mafia for their ability to step into action quickly and spread the word.
“ I said, okay, I need somebody from each church. I need somebody from the synagogue,” Pellegrini said. “And right away people would step up.”
Community Synagogue of Rye has been collecting food for Bread of Life in Rye and Meals on Main Street, Don Bosco, and the Carver Center in Port Chester. Cantor Melanie Cooperman said those efforts have not been a hard sell to the congregation.
“It’s still staying strong,” Cooperman said. “People are aware that even though SNAP has now resumed, the ripple effects of those weeks are still being felt.”
There has been an increase in community food pantry donations across the county, according to Feeding Westchester COO Tami Wilson. She’s impressed by what she has seen, but stressed the full burden can’t be alleviated without government assistance.
“ Food banks can’t replace the safety nets of government,” she said.
The stress on those who use SNAP also has not let up just because the shutdown is over. Wilson said many typically run through their aid by the third or fourth week of the month, and SNAP funds do not cover grocery store non-food products. That means some waited nearly a month for food money — and some of those are still waiting for the money to arrive.
“People, leading into Halloween, have already made choices of ‘I’m not gonna pay for medicine, I’m not gonna pay for transportation, maybe I’ll reduce my rent, so that I can pay for food,’” Wilson said.
Financial struggles will likely linger, but both Wexler and Wilson expressed gratitude for those who have offered to help.
“Our community saw that there were some challenges in what was going on at a broader government level, so they took matters into their own hands,” Wexler said. “We’re taking care of people in our own backyard.”
