Hi, my name is Jonah Goldberg and I am a Junior at Irvington High School in Westchester, New York. I’m raising money for local food pantries in Westchester through a business I’ve created where all of the profits are being donated.

The food pantries that will be helped include WestCOP, a 501c(3) non-profit that operates 10 food pantries in Westchester, Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, and others.

The issue of food insecurity right in our own backyard is something that I have been concerned about for several years because I believe it is of utmost importance that everyone has access to a nourishing meal to start their day off right.

When I started volunteering at local food pantries in Westchester and in the Bronx, I was struck to see that many parents and their children in our area begin their day hungry. Especially in Westchester, with the high cost of living, it is not uncommon for a family to have to decide between paying for housing and utilities or feeding themselves, let alone their children.

Having been passionate about helping to combat food insecurity since I was young, I have recently started a business called Deals for Meals where I am collecting donated gently used and outgrown sports equipment and jerseys, refurbishing it with care and attention, and then reselling it with 100% of the profits going to help food pantries in Westchester.

I will be collecting and reselling the sports equipment at local venues including local farmers markets and local food drives in Westchester with partnering food pantries. Doing this is a win-win: once loved sports equipment will be given a second chance to bring joy to a child or young adult instead of being thrown out while simultaneously generating funds to help feed families in Westchester.

Please join me in supporting this initiative to help our neighbors, many of whom we might not see, have access to a nourishing meal for themselves and their children. Thank you.