Grant Allows Mobile Food Pantry To Come To Port Chester

PORT CHESTER, NY — A bright blue mobile food pantry will be patrolling the streets of Port Chester and Ossining because of a grant from Westchester County.

Caritas of Port Chester, a neighborhood soup kitchen and food pantry giving to anyone in need of food, drink, clothing or other emergency services, was awarded $287,500 through a Community Development Block Grant from Westchester County’s Department of Planning to purchase the van.

Caritas will begin using the van for home delivery of groceries, fresh produce and meals to those who are unable to get to a food pantry in the Port Chester and Ossining communities.

County Executive George Latimer said the purchase of the mobile food pantry is just one of the many reasons reestablishing our CDBG program in Westchester was so important.

“These funds can be used for infrastructure improvement, housing needs and community development in our communities,” he said, “where a project my otherwise have been left on the chopping block.”

Because of the grant, residents who may be experiencing food insecurity will have an easier time getting nutritious food they need, Latimer said.

The funding will be used for:

• The purchase of the pantry truck.
• Staffing a logistic coordinator to manage the sourcing and allocation of farm fresh produce.
• A refrigerated container for truck storage.
• Shelving, mats and bins for food storage inside the truck.

The vehicle will primarily serve Port Chester and Ossining, in addition to other neighborhoods experiencing high levels of food insecurity.