Westchester County

Westchester County is proud to celebrate Herman Geist on his 100th birthday. Herman served his country during WWII and later went on to make a lasting impact in our community as the first Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. Today, we honor his lifelong legacy of service and dedication to both our country and county.

Join us as Westchester County Executive Kenneth W. Jenkins delivers the 2025 State of the County Address on Wednesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at the Michaelian Office Building in White Plains. RSVP required. Please email communications@westchestercountyny.gov by Friday, April 18.

Together with Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, the Westchester County Board of Health presented the 2025 Public Health Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to public health in Westchester by two individuals and two nonprofit agencies. The award ceremony was held in honor of National Public Health Week, and highlighted the vital role that public health plays to preserve, protect and promote the health of Westchester residents. Board of Health President Dr. Robert Baker presented the 2025 Dr. Harold Keltz Distinguished Public Health Service Awards to United Community Center of Westchester, Inc., a New Rochelle nonprofit agency, for its commitment to tobacco and vaping use prevention education for children and teenagers, and for smoking cessation for adults. The Board awarded the 2025 J.R. Tesone Youth Public Health Service Awards to Samantha Pfeffer, an Edgemont High School senior who has become a passionate advocate for drowning prevention. In 2022, Pfeffer took over the management of the Water Guardian Foundation, founded by her family in 2016 to advocate for water safety, four years after her two-year-old sister, Saige, drowned. Jenkins said: “Today, we honor two individuals and two agencies whose work helps to save and extend the lives of Westchester residents, whether through preventing tobacco use or drowning or through the detection, prevention and treatment of cancer. I want to thank the dedicated staff of our Health Department, Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler, and the volunteers who serve on our Westchester County Board of Health, for their essential service to our community. With their extraordinary concern for others, these volunteers set an example for all of us. I congratulate the winners and encourage other residents to choose this path.” Read more here: https://ow.ly/xtBC50Vu2hp

Hope for Us is a Deep Current by Westchester County Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva Read full poem here: https://ow.ly/VwBQ50VtQBT

The MetroCard van will be onsite at various locations throughout Westchester from Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/dP2ka54x or call the Bee-Line Information Center at (914) 813-7777. #BeeLineNews

April #MyWestchester photo featuring Spring at Croton Landing. Use #MyWestchester to be featured on our website, in our newsletter and on our social media accounts. New photos selected each month! 📷: Ferg

The Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) is celebrating Earth Month by offering free compost to residents through its CompostED program. The CompostED site, a small-scale compost education and demonstration facility, processes up to two tons of food scraps weekly, serving as a vital educational hub for composting in the County. To promote local food composting and provide valuable resources to the community, DEF will host several compost distribution events across Westchester County. Event Schedule: Saturday, April 5: Willson’s Woods Park, Mt. Vernon, 10 AM– 2 PM Sunday, April 6: Glen Island Park, New Rochelle, 10 AM – 2 PM Wednesday, April 9: Household Materials Recycling Facility, Valhalla, 4 PM – 7 PM Sunday, April 27: Household Materials Recycling Facility, Valhalla, 10 AM – 2 PM Important Information: Due to limited quantities, registration is required for all events. Residents must register online for a specific time slot to receive compost. Registration can be completed at: https://lnkd.in/ed2i352j Each registered resident will receive two 1-cubic-foot bags of compost. DEF staff will be on-site to verify registration and load pre-bagged compost into residents’ vehicles.

In honor of April as Autism Acceptance Month, the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health is highlighting the success of Project Lifesaver. The program, part of a partnership with Westchester Jewish Community Services offers locator devices for children and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities whose families are looking for an extra layer of security. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Project Lifesaver has been a wonderful resource that our Departments of Community Mental Health and Public Safety have coordinated to oversee bringing necessary protection to children and young adults with autism and developmental disabilities. In partnership with Westchester Jewish Community Services, we are able to provide parents and caregivers a little piece of mind with an additional tool at their disposal, if they need help locating a child or young adult in their care. Having every means available gives us one more layer of comfort, and I want to thank everyone involved in this program for keeping our most vulnerable safe.” Read more here: https://ow.ly/hL0a50VrUIi

Westchester County is proud to be a community that provides protections for all its residents, regardless of gender identity or gender expression. We value diversity and champion equality. The “Seen, Safe, Supported: Westchester Stands with You” campaign urges you to: Call 911 if you need emergency assistance. Call your local police department if you are the victim of threats, harassment or acts of violence. Call the Westchester County Human Rights Commission (914) 995-9500 or email at TransHelp@WestchesterCountyNY.Gov if you are the victim of an incident of bias, hate or discrimination. Alternatively, you may report incidents of bias, hate or discrimination anonymously (or with your contact information) at https://lnkd.in/eJ7QAKMj

In honor of International #TransgenderDayofVisibility, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins is launching the “Seen, Safe, Supported: Westchester Stands with You” campaign, an initiative aimed at reminding gender diverse residents who feel threatened, harassed, or in need of support that they are not alone. Seen: Transgender identity is valid, and their presence enriches our community. We aim for the transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary and intersex members of our community to feel seen here. Safe: If a member of the transgender community experiences a threat to personal safety or damage to property, they can feel safe to report it to local law enforcement or call 9-1-1. Supported: If a member of the transgender community experiences discrimination, report it to the Westchester County Human Rights Commission, the branch of County government best equipped to address these issues. Jenkins said: "Together, we celebrate visibility, promote understanding, and build a community where everyone can live authentically and without fear. Visibility is just the beginning. We want every transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary, and intersex individual in our community to know they have a safe place to turn. Whether it’s reporting discrimination, seeking resources, or simply feeling heard — we are here for you." Read more here: https://ow.ly/CIEL50VrUqT