On Monday, December 21st, and Tuesday, December 22nd, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Shelley B. Mayer partnered to give away 300 hams and turkeys for the holidays to families in need. 

The Senators partnered with Catholic Charities to distribute holiday hams and turkeys at two locations in Westchester: on Monday December 21st, at the Catholic Charities & St. Peter’s Child Care Center in Yonkers; and on Tuesday, December 22nd, at Don Bosco Community Center in Port Chester.

Each location distributed approximately 150 hams and turkeys. 
According to Feeding Westchester, two in five Westchester residents have been living with food insecurity since the Coronavirus Pandemic began. The reliance on food pantries has more than doubled during this crisis. 
During the pandemic, Catholic Charities has been doing its part to meet the needs of vulnerable people throughout Westchester including stepping up to meet heightened demand at its food pantry locations.

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, 35th Senate District, said, “It’s the time for giving, and now more than ever. Many families are struggling to make ends meet, and this was one small way Senator Mayer and I could assist Catholic Charities who supports our most vulnerable. Thank you to Senator Mayer for leading this effort. We will continue to do everything we can at the State level to help our area food banks and food pantries.”   

Senator Shelley B. Mayer, 37th Senate District, said, “The pandemic has created tremendous challenges for families and individuals in our communities. Many are experiencing loss of employment or income and are struggling to meet basic needs, including food and housing costs. I am glad to partner with my friend and colleague Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to donate holiday hams and turkeys to families in Yonkers and Port Chester. We will continue to do all we can to ensure local service providers have the resources they need to help Westchester families weather this crisis.”

Esmeralda Hoscoy, Regional Director for Catholic Charities, said, “Despite this year’s challenges and increased need, the holidays continue to be a time of hope. Thanks to the generous contributions from Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Shelley Mayer, we are able to bring our neighbors in need a bit of joy and good food this holiday season. As we head into a what will be a hard winter for many vulnerable New Yorkers, this kind of compassion and action is more crucial now than ever.”