Thornwood Contractor Reaches Out to Food Bank With Special Delivery
During the past few years as Thanksgiving approaches Mount Pleasant resident Bill Jacobson and his employees gather food and make a sizeable donation to an area organization to help the needy.
On Tuesday, Jacobson, the owner of Castle Driveway, a Thornwood asphalt company, donated 276 pounds of products to the Food Bank for Westchester in Elmsford. Peanut butter and jelly, pasta, rice, canned vegetables, crackers and many other staples that have a long shelf life were bought by Jacobson at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Yorktown and filled the back half of his car.
The firm’s annual food drive is help those who have fallen on hard times and need assistance in what has been a difficult economic climate for several years.
“You try and help people,” Jacobson said. “It makes you feel good because with things being down if you tend to help people it kind of revitalizes your spirit a little bit.”
This year his efforts may be even more essential. There has been pressure on the Food Bank since the 2007 recession hit, but in the two weeks following Hurricane Sandy there has been a 75 percent increase in demand, said Toby Ives, the Food Bank’s interim executive director.
Following the Oct. 29 storm, tens of thousands of residents were without power for up to two weeks and many were unable to afford to eat every meal out. Ives said the Food Bank distributed 3,700 bags of food to people affected by the storm. One Westchester-based corporation donated the use of its kitchen and served about 2,700 sandwiches, Ives said.
As a result of the demand, much of the stock has been depleted.
“We’ve had a terrific outpouring,” he said. “We’ve been able to move many, many thousands of pounds of food to people and it goes out primarily to a number of the 227 programs that we serve in Westchester County.”
The Food Bank also worked with FEMA and state agencies to get products out to area meal programs following the storm, Ives said. Before power was restored, the organization also waived many of the needs requirements because the demand was so great, he added.
Elena Swan, a Castle Driveway employee, said Jacobson has been motivated to help others whenever he can. Last year he donated to another area food bank.
“He loves his business and he also loves the community,” Swan said. “He does this every year, so it’s important to him.”
Jacobson, who started his business in 1979 as a part-time venture before doing it full-time for more than a decade, said it was critical to reach out to those in need in his home county.
“You try to do it local. It’s great to help local people, not someplace else,” he said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
