Emergency Food Providers Call on State and NYC Leaders to Collaborate, Use Budgets to Keep Crucial Supports Available
New York, NY, February 28, 2023 — Millions of New Yorkers will find it harder to feed their families in March, as pandemic-era Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Allotments come to an end. In response, the following statement has been issued by City Harvest, Food Bank For New York City, and United Way of New York City, partners in a New York City-wide consortium to improve access to food and nutrition for lower-income New Yorkers:
“Starting in March 2023, millions of SNAP recipients in New York will lose a significant proportion of their monthly food benefit. For some of the most extreme cases, monthly food allotments will drop from $281 to $23 per month, even as grocery prices continue to rise at their fastest rate in 40 years—up nearly 12% over the past year.”
“We are helping to ensure SNAP recipients and providers within our network are aware of this change and supporting SNAP households to maximize their benefits.”
“To help make up for the loss of benefits, there should be a coordinated response that involves community organizations working with city and state legislative leaders and other key officeholders who should use their budgets to protect New Yorkers from cuts in SNAP benefits by increasing investment in programs that provide crucial food support. On the federal level, Congress should act to increase SNAP supports and sufficiency through key changes to the Farm Bill. Acting together, we can help make sure fewer New Yorkers go hungry.”
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United Way of New York City
For nearly 85 years, United Way of New York City (UWNYC) has been fighting for the self-sufficiency of every low-income New Yorker by taking on the toughest challenges and creating new solutions to old problems. We win by helping families shift from barely surviving to thriving. We unite by mobilizing the best ideas, relevant data, internal and external experts, and resources. UWNYC maximizes impact by coordinating and aligning organizations, companies, local government, and New Yorkers to help families eliminate tough choices and live better while making ends meet.
City Harvest is New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, helping to feed millions of New Yorkers who struggle to put meals on their tables. During our 40 years serving New Yorkers in need, we have rescued more than one billion pounds of fresh, nutritious food and delivered it—free of charge—to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, community partners, and our own Mobile Markets® across the five boroughs. This year, we will rescue and distribute more than 75 million pounds of nutritious food to our neighbors in need. Named one of America’s Top 100 Charities by Forbes, City Harvest works alongside our community partners to boost community capacity, expand nutrition education, and strengthen local food systems. Since our founding in 1982, City Harvest has always been there to feed our city—one day, one meal, one New Yorker at a time. To learn more, please visit cityharvest.org.
Food Bank For New York City has been fighting hunger on the ground since 1983. By partnering with over 800 soup kitchens, food pantries, and campus partners across the five boroughs, Food Bank is able to make a direct impact in the communities that need it most, providing some 1.2 billion meals to New Yorkers since its founding. But food alone can’t solve hunger. That’s why Food Bank employs a two-prong approach of Community Nourishment programming (to provide immediate and reliable access to food today) with Economic Empowerment programming (to equip people with the tools they need to achieve food security into tomorrow and beyond). All of these services – from grab-and-go pantry bags to hot meals, tax filing assistance, SNAP enrollment, nutrition education, and financial empowerment workshops – are free and available to anyone who needs them. To learn more about Food Bank’s mission to dignify, nourish, and empower ALL New Yorkers facing food insecurity, visit foodbanknyc.org