This past Saturday, something truly special happened in Hartsdale. Volunteers from all over Westchester and New York showed up with open hearts and willing hands to make sure families in need could enjoy a real Thanksgiving meal.
The 2025 NYC Basket Brigade Westchester event was a beautiful example of what can happen when a community decides to take care of one another. And this year, with your help, 850 families will sit down to a warm holiday dinner filled with dignity, comfort, and hope.
A Community That Shows Up
From the moment the doors opened, volunteers were packing, taping, sorting, lifting, and organizing with enthusiasm. Some were longtime friends. Others had just met. Yet everyone moved with a shared purpose:
To show kindness to families we may never meet, but who will feel the care behind every box.
This year we also added a new tradition. Volunteers took time to write thank you cards to our donors. These simple handwritten notes carried so much gratitude, and many said it was one of the most meaningful parts of the day.
A 100 Percent Volunteer Mission
The NYC Basket Brigade is a 501c3 charity run entirely by volunteers. We have almost zero administrative cost. Nearly every dollar collected goes straight to food for families.
Over the decades, this community has helped feed more than 1.5 million New Yorkers. That is the power of people showing up.
And this Saturday, you helped carry that tradition forward.
850 Families Fed and Countless Lives Touched
Every can of food, every dollar donated, every hour volunteered added up to something real. Together, we built boxes packed with turkey, sides, fresh produce, and everything needed for a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Nothing went to waste. Extra non-perishables went directly to a local soup kitchen, supporting even more families in our community.
Listening to Our Partner Organizations
One of the highlights this year was interviewing several of the partner charities we have served for close to a decade. They shared the direct impact these baskets make for their families, clients, and neighborhoods. From easing the strain on tight food budgets to giving families the dignity of a full holiday meal, their stories were moving and powerful.
We will be sharing these interviews soon. They are worth hearing.
Celebrating a Leadership Team That Made it All Possible
For two weeks leading up to the event, our leadership team worked tirelessly behind the scenes, sourcing food, coordinating logistics, organizing volunteers, and making sure everything ran smoothly.
A heartfelt thank you to:
Anna Olivo
Frank Clark
Liz Markiewicz
Jayson Karp
James Behan
Joseph “JV” Varghese
Rich Kuepper
Your dedication made this year’s Westchester Brigade shine.
The Mission Continues
While the event was a success, our work is not finished. We continue to raise funds through the end of the year to cover the remaining costs of the food and supplies we purchased. Every dollar helps us close the gap and prepare for an even bigger impact in 2026.
If you would like to support the mission, please consider donating or sharing our work with someone who can help.
Thank You
To every volunteer, donor, partner organization, and supporter: thank you. You made a real difference for families this Thanksgiving. The ripple effect of that kindness is larger than any of us will ever fully know.
Photos and event highlights are available at https://nybb.us.
Here’s to feeding families, strengthening community, and spreading kindness one basket at a time.
