The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound Awards Largest Grant In Its History
The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound (JLWOS) celebrated its 75th anniversary on October 9 with a lively event at Locals 10538 in Larchmont, attended by its members, representatives of its community partners, and several local elected officials. In recognition of the significance of the 75th anniversary milestone, JLWOS President Chris Howe announced a Transformational Grant of $100,000 to Meals on Main Street of Port Chester, a nonprofit organization addressing hunger and food insecurity for New Yorkers across the Sound Shore. This is the largest single grant in the history of the JLWOS.
Over the years, JLWOS has played an important role in catalyzing community organizations and services like Furniture Sharehouse, the Youth Employment Service at Mamaroneck High School, and LMC Media, among others. JLWOS also has a strong tradition of providing grants to community organizations, having disbursed an estimated $1 million since its inception to a wide range of nonprofits across Sound Shore neighborhoods. In its 75th anniversary year, JLWOS launched the ambitious Transformational Grant initiative to spark innovative and high-impact initiatives intended to bring about significant and lasting positive change.
JLWOS’ Transformational Grant will fund the launch of Meals on Main Street’s innovative Mobile Community Café, a first-of-its-kind sit-down dining experience featuring a menu with no prices. The Mobile Community Café will traverse the Sound Shore in collaboration with community partners like Hope Community Services in New Rochelle to be accessible in convenient locations for its target clients. In its first year of operations, the Mobile Community Café is expected to provide 50,000 meals, to connect 25 percent of people served with local support services, and to serve as a showcase for other communities in Westchester County and beyond.
“We are thrilled to support the launch of the Mobile Community Café, at a time when food insecurity is on the rise, and we are excited about its new model to provide high-quality meals with dignity where they are most needed,” said JLWOS President Chris Howe.
“Innovation in the fight against hunger and food insecurity is not just about creating new solutions, it’s about reimagining how we bring nourishment directly to the people who need it the most, with dignity, speed, and care,” said Meals on Main Street Executive Director, Jon Haseltine.
About Junior League of Westchester on the Sound (JLWOS): JLWOS is an educational and charitable organization of women with a mission to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. It is a local chapter of a national organization—the Association of Junior Leagues International. JLWOS members live in and serve eight communities across the Sound Shore: New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye Neck, Rye Brook, Rye, Harrison, and Port Chester. JLWOS’ volunteer and outreach activities are supported by the sales of its thrift shop, the Golden Shoestring, which won Best of Westchester in the consignment/ thrift category in 2024 and 2025. For more information about JLWOS, go to https://westchesteronthesound.jl.org.
About Meals on Main Street: The organization builds community through food by using a low-cost food delivery model that brings high-quality, nutrient-dense meals directly to those in need and helps improve community heath and wellbeing, supports children’s growth and learning, and prevents food waste. For more information about Meals on Main Street, go to https://www.mealsonmainst.org/.