Newsroom

The Junior League of Northern Westchester & BGCNW Host

Mount Kisco, NY – November 17, 2010 – The Junior League of Northern Westchester and the Boys & Girls Club of NorthernWestchester recently hosted a "Kids in the Kitchen" event for children enrolled in the club's after-school programs. One hundred and fifty children, in kindergarten through seventh grade, played games, planted vegetable seeds and enjoyed an array of flavorful, healthy snacks.

Promoting exercise and good nutrition, "Kids in the Kitchen" is an educational component of the Back Pack Buddies Program™, which provides children enrolled in the Club's after-school programs with nutritious meals for the weekend. The backpacks are filled with child-friendly, non-perishable, vitamin-fortified food and are distributed with recipes using the food provided. JLNW volunteers plan the weekly backpack items, provide the funding needed to buy the food, and pack the backpacks.

"The increasing number of hungry children in the Northern Westchester community is startling. There are 110 children in this community who are hungry. We are collaborating with the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and the Food Bank for Westchester to tackle this crisis by offering Back Pack Buddies and other programs. Our partnership enables us to spend a fraction of the cost of grocery store food and provide the children with healthy meals. Despite rising food costs, the JLNW is working to expand the program to provide for even more children in the Northern Westchester community and expand the program to distributions throughout the year," said JLNW president Jennifer Bancroft.

Addressing hunger and healthy eating habits among children, the League funds and runs this program in conjunction with the Food Bank for Westchester and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester. The program is part of the League's Community Impact Initiative to combat hunger and promote healthy eating habits among area resident children during these tough economic times. The League's forthcoming 30th Anniversary Holiday Sharing Drive in December will continue these efforts.

About Junior League of Northern Westchester (JLNW)

The Junior League of Northern Westchester is a nonprofit and nonsectarian volunteer organization of women from the ages of 21 to 93 trained for effective leadership in community activities and dedicated to the belief that volunteer service is an essential part of responsible citizenship. The Junior League of Northern Westchester reaches out to and is composed of women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, volunteerism. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For more information, visit www.jlnw.org, call 914-234-4714 or email info@jlnw.org.

About Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester (BGCNW)

BGCNW was established in 1939 as a place for "boys to get off the streets." It is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and enabling young people, especially those who need it most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The 36,000-square-foot facility features an eight-lane pool, Child Care Center, gymnasium, games room, and two computer labs, and an additional 1,600-square-foot Teen Center facility. The Club serves 2,000 youths, boys and girls ages 6 months to 18 years, from more than 60 Northern Westchester communities. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester is located at 351 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY and can be reached at (914) 666-8069 or by visiting www.bgcnw.com.

About Food Bank for Westchester

The Food Bank for Westchester's mission is to lead, engage and educate Westchester County in creating a hunger-free environment. It solicits and administers donations from both the public and private sector, distributing food through approximately 200 hunger relief member agencies. Its core activity is the collection and distribution of donated, government and purchased food. The Food Bank distributes more than five million pounds of food to member agencies annually. For more information, visit www.foodbankforwestchester.org, call 914-923-1100 or email katy.coppinger@foodbankforwestchester.org.

Press Contact: Kat McKee, Co-Communications, (914) 666-0066, kat@cocommunications.com

Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester
351 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, New York 10549 (914) 666-8069