YONKERS, NY, Thursday,
November 13, 2014—If you answered, “3,000 pounds of elbow macaroni,” you can
continue reading this missive.
That’s because the
ton-and-a-half of pasta was the exact amount—give or take a two-pound
bag—volunteers from Empire City, Yonkers Raceway and the Standardbred Owners
Association of New York assembled for distribution during their annual visit to
the Food Bank for Westchester.
It was ECYR’s third annual
visit to the Food Bank, which is located in Elmsford, about 20 minutes north of
Yonkers. The gung-ho gang of about 25, including drivers Jason Bartlett and
Jordan Stratton, did all of the compulsories.
We’re talking
double-bagging, scooping, weighing (again, two-pound bags) and packing the
macaroni, which shall be part of thousands of holiday meals countywide. The
newbies among the group were also given a tour of the Food Bank’s giant
warehouse.
“We often speak of people
right in your own backyard who are in need,” volunteer services manager Nancy
Lyons said. “Well, there are 54 organizations we distribute to and partner with
that are located right there in Yonkers.”
“It was just a couple of
hours out of my day, but I could see how much it means,” Bartlett—part of the
scooping section--said. “I’ve been here each time, and if they ask again, I
would be happy to return.”
As for Stratton, who
multi-tasked between scooping and sealing, “I enjoyed it. (Jason and I) were
able to work with some ‘non-racing’ people from other Empire City areas.
Besides helping out a good cause, maybe we can turn some into racing fans.”
(About the Food Bank for
Westchester…Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight
regional food banks in New York State. It acquires, warehouses and distributes
more than 7.2 million pounds of food annually to 265 frontline hunger-relief
programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and
residential programs serving the estimated 200,000 Westchester residents who
are hungry or at risk of being hungry. In 2013, the Food Bank served 6,204,101
meals to Westchester County residents. Based in Elmsford, NY, the Food Bank is
located in a 37,000 square foot warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest
refrigerator and freezer. To learn more, or to donate to the Food Bank’s Turkey
Drive, please visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org,
or text FB4W to 88500. Located at 200 Clearbrook
Road, they can be reached at (914) 923-1100)
