In 2009, the Westchester Community Foundation awarded a total of $306,000 in safety-net grants to non-profit organizations that are helping struggling residents throughout the county.

With demand on food pantries skyrocketing, more children and seniors lack access to fresh, nutritious food.  A grant of $70,000 to the Food Bank for Westchester will strengthen the capacity of the county's emergency food network to deliver more food to hungry children and senior citizens.

The number of families at risk of losing their homes due to foreclosure, loss of employment, under-employment, and financial stress is steadily increasing.  Grants to Westchester Residential Opportunities, The Bridge Fund of Westchester, and the Neighborhood Preservation Company at Human Development Services of Westchester will underwrite the expansion of housing services.

The Bridge Fund of Westchester received $50,000 to prevent homelessness by providing interest-free loans and grants to the working poor.

Westchester Residential Opportunities received $25,000 to upgrade its technology infrastructure, allowing staff in multiple locations to continue to assist clients facing foreclosure, eviction, and housing discrimination.

No individual facing eviction or loss of income or benefits should be disadvantaged because he cannot afford to hire a lawyer.  A grant of $50,000 to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley will underwrite a staff attorney to provide increased civil legal services to low-income residents.

The Neighborhood Preservation Company at Human Development Services of Westchester received a grant of $20,000, enabling it to expand bi-lingual housing and case-management services to those in need.

Leviticus 25:23 Alternative Fund received a grant of $10,000 to contribute to its revolving loan pool, which provides pre-development loans to nonprofit agencies for affordable housing, child care centers, and community centers. 

More victims of domestic violence will receive assistance through grants totaling $81,000 to the county's domestic violence network.  Through the Westchester Fund for Women & Girls, the Foundation awarded $36,000 to My Sisters' Place to support its court advocacy program; $30,000 to Hope's Door (formerly The Northern Westchester Shelter) for its community programs; and $15,000 to the Pace University Women's Justice Center to increase the delivery of pro bono legal services to low income domestic violence victims.