Council scrambles to get funding for food programs
BY TODD MAISEL
Members of the
City Council
are requesting
that the city release $25
million in emergency
funding and the state do
the same to fund struggling
food banks and assistance
programs that
many of the newly unemployed
depend on during
this COVID-19 crisis.
Emergency food organizations
led by the Met
Council for Jewish Poverty
and City Harvest,
have been sounding the
alarm in recent days over
increased costs for food,
lack of donations and
pressure on food banks
and decreased numbers
of volunteers, many of
whom are 50 and above
and are quarantined because
they are more at
risk from the contagion.
Advocates for the food
FILE PHOTO/TODD MAISEL
Met Council food pantry is in operation to keep
people fed during the COVID-19 crisis.
programs say 32 percent
of the pantries and
kitchens have closed because
of a lack of food
and volunteers. Both
City Harvest and Met
Council say they have
had to hire new drivers
and pay bonuses for the
added risk during the
COVID-19 crisis.
Speaker Corey Johnson,
along with the
council delegation, is
calling on Mayor Bill
de Blasio to release
emergency funding to
struggling food banks
and food assistance
programs during the
coronavirus pandemic
(COVID-19) to halt a
looming hunger crisis.
The Council is also leaning
on the Governor and
state legislature to join
in supporting the vital
food programs.
The food programs
are in focus at a time
when nearly half a million
people have lost
their jobs and income
and will be fi nancially
unable to even feed their
families during the crisis.
Met Council offi cials
say $50 million will provide
funding for over
19 million meals, which
will allow for 2.1 million
balanced and healthy
food packages each consisting
of nine meals per
USDA guidelines.
Met Council CEO David
Greenfi eld has been
appealing to the state
for additional funds as
donations have dropped
off and expenses have
nearly tripled.
The reason behind
added expenses includes
the loss of volunteers, increased
food costs due to
competition with big supermarket
retailers, vendors
becoming unreliable
and unable to deliver,
added costs of keeping
workers safe including
masks, hand sanitizers,
gloves and other items.
The COVID-19 pandemic
has created a
food crisis in New York
City, leaders pointing
to elderly New Yorkers,
homebound individuals,
students dependent on
school meal plans, and
others in need must have
reliable food services.
“The richest city in
the richest nation in the
world is on the cusp of a
hunger crisis,” said Council
Speaker Johnson. “We
must act now to quickly
get relief to our food providers.
This is an emergency
and time is of the
essence. Undoubtedly we
will need more funding
in the coming weeks, but
it’s imperative that we begin
now to stop more of
our providers from shutting.”
Jilly Stephens, CEO of
City Harvest said their
costs are rising too and
government assistance
will be needed to assure
continued city nutrition.
“We are on the front
lines to keep New Yorkers
fed during this public
health emergency. We are
grateful to the City Council
and Speaker Corey
Johnson for their support
and leadership to ensure
we have the resources we
need to feed our neighbors,”
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