http://CastilloForProgress.org/

Andres Castillo for Bedford, Bedford Hills, NY (2026)

06/30/2024

Pride month 2024 highlights 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ It was truly an honor to speak at this year’s Pride ceremony and flag raising in both Bedford and Lewisboro. As the first openly q***r elected official in northern Westchester, I know from personal experience what it means to struggle as a result of policies and practices that directly undermine our freedom, safety and wellbeing.

We must acknowledge that although New York State and Westchester County are largely pro-LGBTQ, discrimination persists in every corner of our state, especially in our public schools, where DEI initiatives are often explicitly prohibited, where the school curriculum makes it very difficult for LGBTQ youth from fully understand who they are, and where it is often not possible for q***r and trans youth to find their voices, let alone build community and take action within school walls.

It is for these reasons that I urge each and every one of you to engage with your school boards, speak up for all students, and if you don’t see leaders who are actively willing to support LGBTQ youth, consider running for a position of influence that will enable you to become the change you wish to see while encouraging others to do the same.

When I ran for office in 2021, I made a commitment to create a model of local government that welcomes and empowers people from all walks of life, leaving no one behind in the process. Two and a half years later, Bruno and I are actively contributing to this vision in every aspect of our work, and what motivates us to serve during the most challenging times is not just our own stake in these issues, but more importantly, the world that we are aiming to build for our family, community and future generations.

We see you, we love you, and we will not let you down. Happy pride!

04/11/2024

We’re delivering for the people of Bedford. As we gear up to make the most of the spring season, we would like to highlight our most notable accomplishments from the first quarter of the year.

✅ We hosted a well attended Bedford Hills business business owner meeting to foster the necessary partnerships for establishing a Bedford Hills Chamber of Commerce and supporting town-wide business development. We went a step further by organizing the town’s very first minority and women-owned business info session to support entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds.

✅ We’ve made historic progress for our town’s Hispanic/Latino population by not only hosting a successful launch event for Bedford Hispanos Unidos (the first town-wide organization dedicated to unifying and empowering our Hispanic population), but also by spearheading a countywide Hispanic needs assessment in collaboration with the Westchester County Hispanic Advisory Board and Pace University, which will serve as a powerful guide for policies and investments to better serve our growing demographic.

✅ We’ve reinvigorated our commitment to passing our town’s comprehensive plan by hiring a consultant to get us to the finish line, launching a 10-member advisory committee to build off the foundational work of previous subcommittees, and expanding our surveys of the broader community, all of which will open the door to creating a more vibrant, affordable and healthy town.

✅ We’ve maintained our strong record of environmental action by supporting a local task force to boost our capacity to preserve open space while successfully passing a local law to expand safety inspections and promote energy efficiency in our town’s rental buildings.

✅ We hired a seasoned consultant and coordinated stakeholder input sessions to apply for the Drug Free Communities grant, which would provide the towns of Bedford, Pound Ridge and Lewisboro with an additional $125,000 per year (for a total of five years) to support mental health and drug abuse prevention among youth.

03/21/2024

Are you a business owner or thinking of starting a business? Do you come from an underrepresented community in the business sector? If so, please take a moment to attend our upcoming Minority and Women-Owned Business Info Session on Wednesday, March 27 at the Bedford Hills Train Station House (46 Depot Plaza, Bedford Hills, NY), starting at 5:30 for English speakers and 7:00 for Spanish speakers. Allies are welcome to attend as well!

✅ Learn about the process and benefits of becoming a certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), including high visibility to county departments, contractors and anyone looking to do business with MWBEs, potential contract opportunities with Westchester County and other government entities, and special access to workshops, seminars, trainings and networking opportunities that have proven to help businesses succeed.

✅ Tap into loans and other types of financial support for small businesses and MWBEs.

✅ Network with other business owners from underrepresented communities in northern Westchester to address common challenges and build mutually beneficial partnerships.

02/09/2024

By far, one of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to inspire local youth to reach their highest potential and become civically engaged, with the ultimate goal of giving them the tools and knowledge to change the world around them.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of delivering another motivational presentation for underserved students at Fox Lane High School, including immigrant students and those from first-generation, low-income backgrounds. I not only shared the story of my journey from undocumented immigrant to elected official but also engaged with them about the importance of believing in ourselves when confronted with adversity and naysayers, finding our sense of purpose (the “why”) before deciding on a career path (the “what”), and using our education and skills to give back to the communities that raised us.

Recently, I also had the opportunity to join a roundtable event hosted by the Westchester Youth Alliance, where I talked to students about the meaning and power of grassroots (community-based) initiatives as well as key strategies for networking with elected officials to address the most pressing issues in our communities. Just a few days later, they were able to practice what we preached by meeting with legislators in Albany to promote the expansion of state-level support for youth empowerment programs.

I am once again reminded that the future is bright in Bedford and across Westchester County, as our students have demonstrated resilience, a powerful willingness to learn, and a commitment to justice, equity and inclusion for all.

01/12/2024

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! As I embark on the second half of my term as a council member for the Town of Bedford, I’m very proud to share some of our greatest accomplishments in 2023:

✅ Revamped our Drug Abuse Prevention Council, which will now be known as THRIVE, an alliance between the towns of Bedford, Pound Ridge, and Lewisboro to support mental health and substance abuse prevention among youth and other marginalized populations.

✅ Established Bedford Hispanos Unidos, our town’s very first Hispanic advocacy group, with 8 active committee members who will not only put on community events but also advise the town on policies, programs and resources to better serve our Hispanic community

✅ Helped introduce legislation to expand safety inspections and promote energy efficiency in our town’s rental buildings. Our town continues to be a state-wide leader in environmental action.

✅ Funded and advised on initiatives to help develop a town-wide chamber of commerce, amplify our growing number of businesses, simplify the process of opening/ expanding a business in Bedford, and pave a path towards economic revitalization for Bedford Hills and our town as a whole.

✅ Played a key role in supporting programming, improving data collection and raising funds for the Westchester Youth Alliance, an organization that empowers youth to find their voice, build community and take action to become the change they wish to see.

✅ Approved zoning changes to support the development of an affordable housing opportunity on McLain Street, with even more access to affordable housing in the works for 2024, especially in our town’s comprehensive plan.

✅ Brought together key stakeholders to begin to address the high rate of domestic violence in Bedford Hills, in partnership with Bedford Town Justice Jodi Kimmel and the nonprofit My Sister’s Place.

We look forward to accomplishing even more for the Bedford community and neighboring municipalities in 2024!

11/09/2023

We won! Congratulations to my colleagues Ellen Calves for Bedford, Bittker4Bedford, and Thomas Catoliato for winning re-election this past Tuesday! Bedford will continue to have a highly experienced, diverse and forward-thinking town council, and it’s all thanks to the leadership and commitment of our neighbors, friends, campaign staff and volunteers who went above and beyond to get out the vote and make their voices heard. We will continue to do everything in our power to move Bedford forward!

P.S. I extend my congratulations to the other progressive candidates from across the country, who were also victorious on Election Day 🙌🏽

10/23/2023

On October 5th, I had the pleasure of celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Westchester Youth Alliance (), an organization that empowers youth to find their voice, build community, and engage in community service/advocacy across Westchester County. Our WYA members are some of the brightest, most compassionate changemakers that I’ve had the privilege of supporting during my time as a Bedford Council Member and WYA Board Member.

Over the past few months, our talented WYA Board and staff have developed robust programs and raised thousands of dollars from grants and individual donors to expand the impact that we’ve had on local teens who are yearning to make a difference.

During a time of conflict, chaos and uncertainty in the world that surrounds us, our Westchester youth make me hopeful that our communities can achieve the peace, progress and prosperity that we all deserve.

10/12/2023

We’ve had a blast celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Bedford and across Westchester County! Proud to share I’ve recently been appointed to the county’s Hispanic Advisory Board, where I’ll be working closely with Hispanic/Latino leaders to survey the strengths and challenges of our population, examine the resources that we currently have available, and ensure that state and local policies are reflective of the needs and values of Hispanics/Latinos in Westchester, who currently account for more than one quarter of the county’s population.

This year, I’ve also been serving as the new secretary of the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester to strengthen Latino representation in voting, political campaigns and elected offices across the region.

In addition, the Town of Bedford is forming a committee that will focus on Latino/Hispanic outreach, community building and access to services. If you’re a resident of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village or Katonah and would like to join or support this committee, please DM me or email me at [email protected]

01/19/2023

Dear Bedford residents and friends from across the globe: I’d like to take a moment to wish you all a very happy New Year! 2022 was the most challenging yet rewarding year of my life, and I’m very proud of everything that we’ve been able to accomplish during my first year in office:

✅ We hosted constituent events to lay the groundwork for establishing our town’s very first Hispanic advocacy committee.

✅ We partnered with our state legislators to secure $350,000 in state funding for Latino U College Access (LUCA), an organization that supports first-generation Latinx students on their journeys to and through college.

✅ We organized our town’s very first community health fair, which not only brought out hundreds of residents from across our school district, but also made it possible for over 40 organizations/ agencies to engage and connect with one another in the areas of health and wellness. We are now working to hold this event on an annual basis through our Recreation Department, while using these new connections to create a bilingual community resource guide.

✅ We passed legislation and implemented environmental procedures to support Bedford 2030’s climate action plan, which has allowed our town to become the #1 clean energy community in all of New York State.

In 2023, I aim to prioritize a wide variety of Town projects, including the revitalization of our commercial districts, accelerating the completion of our sewer project, expanding cell service in the least intrusive manner, and promoting equitable access to housing, childcare, and recreational activities, while partnering with our state legislators to advance progressive legislation across New York State.

On a personal note, I just returned from a much-needed vacation in Belgium, where I had the pleasure of making new friends and reconnecting with my cousin Alejandra after three years of being apart.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and prosperous 2023! I’ll be with you every step of the way, and I look forward to working with our community to create a brighter, healthier future for Bedford and beyond.

With gratitude,

Councilman Andrés Castillo Quintana

11/21/2022

My response to the tragic shooting at the Colorado Springs LGBTQ club, killing at least 5 people and injuring 25 others. 🌈

10/30/2022

It’s a beautiful day to vote early! I was proud to vote for a strong slate of progressive candidates this year, including my fellow town council member Tom Catoliato, who has done a wonderful job representing Bedford Village and advocating for the entire Bedford community. I also flipped my ballot and voted YES on the environmental bond act, which will go a long way towards supporting climate change mitigation, open space conservation and recreation, flood risk reduction, water quality and resilient infrastructure. Every vote counts!

Andres Castillo for Bedford

06/30/2024

04/11/2024

03/21/2024

02/09/2024

01/12/2024

11/09/2023

10/23/2023

10/12/2023

01/19/2023

11/21/2022

10/30/2022

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