Westchester Children's Association “Poverty Pulse” Gets $4,000 Boost

Westchester Children’s Association (WCA) has received a $4,000 grant from the Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU) Charitable Foundation to directly support the continued expansion of WCA’s “Poverty Pulse” initiative. Poverty Pulse, a data rich report compiled and issued quarterly, has become a vital resource for other nonprofit organizations and local government agencies providing real-time insight into the economic challenges facing children and families across Westchester County.

Poverty Pulse tracks emerging trends in family economic stability by combining real-time insights from frontline nonprofit organizations with publicly available economic data. By highlighting pressures such as rising housing costs, food insecurity, and childcare access, the initiative equips policymakers, nonprofits, and community leaders with the data necessary to direct resources where they are needed most.

"Economic fluctuations happen in real-time, but poverty data has historically been retrospective," said Limarie Cabrera, Director of Data, Operations & Finance

at WCA. "With Poverty Pulse, we are moving beyond the lag of industry-standard reporting and providing current data that we believe will lead to better and more timely decisions for Westchester’s children and families."

Through the continued expansion of Poverty Pulse, WCA expects to:

· Engage 5-10 nonprofit and community partners contributing real-time insight on family economic hardship

· Produce quarterly Poverty Pulse updates and reports highlighting trends affecting children and families

· Reach thousands of community members, nonprofit leaders, and policymakers through WCA’s data dashboards and digital publications

· Support 100+ nonprofit organizations that rely on WCA research and data to inform programs and secure funding

· Strengthen policy discussions and community responses affecting the 208,000 children living in Westchester County

This grant is part of a larger distribution of $550,000 awarded by the HVCU Charitable Foundation to 80 nonprofits across its 13-county footprint, focusing on education, food, health, and housing.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from Hudson Valley Credit Union, which allows us to turn the Poverty Pulse data into actionable advocacy," stated Adam Rabinovitch, Executive Director of WCA. "Our partners at organizations like Feeding Westchester, The Sharing Shelf, and United Way are on the front lines every day. Poverty Pulse is an extension of that work, providing the evidence needed to advocate for systemic change at both the county and state levels."

About Westchester Children’s Association 

Founded in 1914, the Westchester Children’s Association is the only independent child advocacy organization in Westchester County. WCA uses data, research, and community engagement to drive policy solutions that ensure every child is healthy, safe, and prepared for life’s challenges, regardless of race, income, or zip code.

About Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU)

A trusted, community-based financial cooperative, Hudson Valley Credit Union has continuously supported its members, friends, families, and the regions it serves in building successful financial futures since 1963. Committed to fostering financial freedom, HVCU serves more than 400,000 members across 40 branches in 13 counties. From personal banking to business services, the credit union offers an array of financial services and innovative digital solutions, including internship and scholarship programs, financial literacy workshops, and program grants.

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