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The statistics are staggering even to Sherry Wolf, executive director of Community Center of Northern Westchester in Katonah: 91,000 pounds of food and 166,000 pounds of clothing donated for neighbors in need last year. "We're on track to equaling those amounts by December," Wolf said.
She was referring to the current donation drive, in reality an ongoing effort to anticipate and meet the needs of a subtly shifting client population. "We have a hugely generous community here in northern Westchester that created and sustains this rather unusual organization," Wolf said.
The center is run by volunteers, she said, and it offers more than food and clothing. "We have English-language classes, computer classes and assistance in finding jobs," she said. It is also among the few food pantries whose clients more than 1,700 households during the last year "shop" the shelves.
"We feel it's important to help people preserve their dignity," Wolf said. "That is why we're a 'choice pantry' we don't hand out identical bags of items we've assembled for them."
It's why the center staff recently ensured that girls who couldn't afford a prom dress could choose among gently used evening gowns in an elegant store setting. "We arranged with Robert, Rafael and Monica Brache for a kind of private showing and fitting at their Mount Kisco store, Elephant's Trunk, so these teenagers could feel pampered and special," Wolf said.
It's also why the center requires only proof of residency a utility bill will do for someone to use its services. "If you tell me you're hungry, I believe you," Wolf said. "Dignity, respect this was part of the founders' mission."
It's the same guiding philosophy today, she said, even as the center's clients have changed. "In the last few years, people who donated and helped others have found themselves on the receiving end needing to be helped," she said.
The concept for the center sprang from what she calls the "collective imagination" of local religious and community groups 19 years ago. "We were a faith-based institution," Wolf said. "They continue to partner with us now."
Community Center of Northern Westchester, 84 Bedford Road, Katonah, N.Y. 10536, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. It is closed Sunday and Monday. Telephone 914.232.6572 or visit the website www.communitycenternw.org
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