Entree to Hope: Meritage Restaurant Raises Money For Westchester's Hungry, Homeless

"Not only is food an essential need, it also creates a social setting for some of the greatest joys of life," said Jamie Steinthal, owner of Meritage Restaurant in Scarsdale.

Until March 15, Meritage Restaurant will participate in Entree to Hope, a program that is working to bring more joy into the lives of people who may not know where their next meal is coming from, or if they'll have a warm place to sleep each night.

Entree to Hope, a collaborative effort of Food Bank for Westchester, Grace Church Community Center in White Plains, and Literacy Volunteers of Westchester Inc., is working with over 30 restaurants in Westchester in asking patrons to donate a small amount along with their bill.

Jamie Steinthal said that this is her second year working with Entree to Hope.

"I can't think of greater cause than providing food and shelter to people that are struggling to afford it," Steinthal said.

Last year, Steinthal said that Meritage was able to raise over $300 for Entree to Hope. "I hope for an even better reponse this year," she said.

The Entree to Hope program is now in it's second year and with the effects of the recession continuing to hit home here in Westchester, a donation of as little as $1 the next time you eat at Meritage Restaurant could help to alleviate suffering for Westchester's needy families.

The Food Bank for Westchester estimates that over 200,000 county residents going hungry each day or are in danger of doing so. Nearly 40 percent of this population consists of children 18 and under.

Rosa Boone, Executive Director of the Westchester Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, said that the more fortunate of Westchester's population often do not see the vast number of people in need because of the continued efforts of the county's 141 soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters.

"Poverty does exist in Westchester County," Boone said. "The reason why people don't believe there is hunger and homelessness is because we have these soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters. These places are hidden to some degree, but they are there."

Chris Schwartz, Development Director at Grace Church Community Center (GCCC), said that in 2009 the soup kitchen served 6,000 more meals than the year prior, a 33 percent increase from 2008.

With an increase in community need for the soup kitchen's services, there is consequently a higher demand for volunteers. Schwartz said many Westchester residents have risen to the task.

"There has been a huge increase in the number of volunteers. Most of them are from middle class or well-to-do families," Schwartz said.

She also noted that GCCC has had an increase in corporate offices offering their employees for volunteer work.

"A lot of corporations now have less money they can give to non-profits, so that's another way for them to give back," Schwartz said.

While local resources for those in need have been stretched thin as more and more Westchester residents are seeking assistance, Entree to Hope is aiming to raise money to support three key initiatives: food, shelter, and education.

"These are the three building blocks for a person to become self-sufficient," Schwartz said. "Our goal, really, is to help all of these people develop the skills, or find the housing, whatever it is they need, to take that step so they don't need our services anymore."

Education for the illiterate and those with minimal reading skills is a priority for Patricia Pajala, President and CEO of Literacy Volunteers of Westchester Inc. She says that the problems caused by illiteracy can be difficult to define, but pervade many aspects of people's lives.

Illiteracy "is not a particularly visible challenge," Pajala said, but it effects many Westchester families. From health care to societal problems like drug abuse and crime, illiteracy can make life difficult not only for those who are unable to read, but for their families as well.

Pajala believes the Entree to Hope program is an important tool for raising awareness of illiteracy, hunger, and homelessness in a socioeconomically divided area.

"There's two Westchesters. One's leafy and green and the other is urban and changing," she said. "We hope this promotion will bring some level of awareness and sympathy."

Peter Kelly, chef and owner of Xaviar's Restaurant Group, also noted a profound difference in socioeconomic status in Westchester.

"Westchester, as a community just north of Manhattan, people don't look at it as a place where people are going hungry every night or don't have a place to live or don't have access to education," Kelly said.

Kelly's Yonkers restaurant, X20-Xaviar's on the Hudson, is participating in Entree to Hope, but charitable efforts are nothing new to Kelly. He founded Dine out for Kids, a fundraiser that benefits the pediatrics at Nyack Hospital and also works with the March of Dimes.

Kelly believes that Westchester residents are eager to help out those in need.

"Most people are looking for a way to participate and help others and I think Entree to Hope allows them to do that," he said.

Christina Rohatynskj, Executive Director of Food Bank for Westchester, is also optimistic for this year's Entree to Hope.

"Entree to Hope will be another opportunity, in a very positive way, to educate restaurant patrons about the needs of people in Westchester and will ask them to be part of the solution by helping people get on their feet and moving toward self-sufficiency," she said.