OUR HISTORY

Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry was founded in 1991 by 3 congregations, and was located at the historic schoolhouse at 40 Moore Avenue. During the Pantry’s first year, weekly distributions served  just 8 families and quickly grew, increasing fivefold over the next year. As need began to exceed the capacity of congregational donation baskets, the Pantry held food drives at local supermarkets and received bulk donations from the Food Patch, now known as Feeding Westchester.

In 1993, the Bedford Central School district and Bedford Teachers Association collected 1,800 pounds of food in the first annual food drive. 6,400 individuals (25% of whom were senior citizens) were served by the pantry.

In 2008, the Pantry moved to its current location at the United Methodist Church, after stays at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester. As a result of the recession in 2008-2009, guest numbers jumped nearly 40% percent year over year.

During the 2010’s, partnerships developed with local businesses, schools and community groups.  Additional fresh produce was sourced through Hilltop Hanover Farms.  Local seniors became a focus in 2013 when home deliveries were expanded to homebound neighbors.  Sponsorship of a “mini pantry” at the Fox Senior Center was launched. Guests served increased to more than 25,000.  The Pantry prioritized healthy eating and nutrition education. In collaboration with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, the Pantry launched an onsite, bi-lingual, comprehensive 8-week nutrition workshop “Eat Smart New York”, a variation of which continues today.

In 2015, efforts to improve the health of our community expanded, including a partnership with Northern Westchester Hospital to provide guests with free health screenings and flu shots. In 2019, the School’s Out Supplement Program (SOS) was introduced to bridge the summer nutritional gap for hundreds of school age children.

By early 2020, the Pantry served 45,000 individuals annually. When the pandemic struck in March of 2020, demand soared, and we responded.  We partnered with Neighbor’s Link and Feeding Westchester for a weekly food distribution. We used our sourcing capabilities and financial resources to secure scarce items and purchase fresh eggs, meat, and produce.

In 2023, steep rates of inflation and a reduction in pandemic era benefits challenged our vulnerable neighbors. An average of 630 households relied on our Pantry weekly, and we fed over 102,000 people in 2023 (of which 18% were children and 12% were seniors).