1,000 Clients from Westchester County and Surrounding Communities to Benefit from Purchase
CHOICE of NY, a growing nonprofit serving the homeless, mentally Ill and physically disabled, has taken prompt action by purchasing five tons of food for 1,000 of its clients who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for food. CHOICE of NY wanted to ensure that its clients would still have access to nutritious food if this federal food assistance program is suspended as expected on November 1, 2025, the day benefits will no longer be available amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Nearly 42 million people rely on SNAP, the country’s largest anti-hunger program which dates back to the Great Depression. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids and people with disabilities. CHOICE of NY is taking an unconventional, but practical, local approach to this monumental problem. The five tons of food will be stored in New Rochelle and White Plains as appropriate in the organization’s existing food pantries and storage spaces, with nonperishable food overflows being stored in CHOICE of NY’s conference rooms and the offices of care coordinators who will be asked to work from home. As CHOICE of NY’s protocols provide a care coordinator to each of its approximately 4,000 clients, it expects that notification and response to and from those who need assistance will continue to operate smoothly.
“We have a moral and ethical responsibility to our founding principle, that we help people when they are having the worst days of their lives. This would certainly be one of those times if they have nothing to eat. CHOICE of NY will be there to ensure that’s not the case for any of our clients in need,” said Executive Director, Guy Fessenden.
About CHOICE of NY:
CHOICE of NY is a nonprofit, innovative social services organization that assists consumers of mental health services in receiving the vital benefits to which they are entitled. These services are free and are provided with compassion and dignity. CHOICE of NY specializes in complete case management, homeless outreach, and criminal justice reentry and rehabilitative services. To learn more about the services provided by CHOICE of NY and its important mission, visit choiceofny.org.
