United Way Awards $38K in Grants to Putnam Nonprofits 

United Way of Westchester and Putnam announced that seven nonprofits serving Putnam County were awarded grants totaling $38,000 through Phase 39 and Phase ARPA-R of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. United Way administers this program, which provides federal funding, which helps to extend currently available services for the hungry and homeless. 

“Housing and food insecurity still plague many residents in Putnam County,” said United Way President and CEO Tom Gabriel. “United Way is honored to help our nonprofit partners address the basic human needs of hundreds of families in our community through these grants.” 

The recipients of the awards include Catholic Charities, Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County, Second Chance Foods, St. Christopher’s Inn, St. John the Evangelist Food Pantry, Putnam CAP (WestCOP) and Putnam Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center. 

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from organizations like the United Way of Westchester & Putnam,” said Martha Elder, executive director of Second Chance Foods. “Food insecurity is at levels we’ve never experienced before and with this, the demand for our fresh, healthy meals and groceries is also at an all-time high. Support like this has allowed us to increase capacity and nourish more of our most vulnerable neighbors.” 

Since January 2022, UWWP administered over $1.7 million in grants to local nonprofits serving Westchester and Putnam counties.  

“We look forward to the ways these grants will benefit our communities and we will continue to identify ways to support our nonprofit partners in their missions,” Gabriel said.