NYCCAH'S NEW Online Volunteer Matching System!

The Coalition has a new, pioneering volunteer matching website - nyccah.org/volunteermatching - that allows people to log on and search for anti-hunger volunteering opportunities by neighborhood, nearby subway stops, available times, personal skill sets, etc., to find the opportunities that fit them best. People with accounting, computer, development, law, and other special skills can use the system to "adopt" food pantries and soup kitchens that need assistance in those specific areas. The state-of-the-art system, which is one of the most advanced such systems in the nation, was launched at an event at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen on Tuesday, January 1. Please take a moment to check it out today and see what volunteer opportunities are available!

'Green Carts' Initiative

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced their support for the Green Carts proposal, which calls for a phase in over two years of 1,500 City pushcart vendors that exclusively sell fresh fruits and vegetables. The carts will operate in areas throughout the five boroughs with low consumption of and limited access to fruits and vegetables. Some of those on the long waiting list for street vendor licenses will likely opt to sell fruits and vegetables instead of waiting to operate the usual and unhealthy hot dog/pretzel stand. The Bronx and Brooklyn, which have more food deserts, will receive the most permits.

Farm Bill Passes Senate

The Senate finally approved the 2007 Farm Bill with a 70-14 vote. The massive piece of legislation covers agricultural subsidies, conservation, as well as nutrition programs like the Food Stamp Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The new Senate bill expands investments in the Food Stamp Program and TEFAP. It raises household asset limits and indexes them, increases the indexing of the $10 minimum monthly benefit and the standard deductions for households with three or less, and boosts TEFAP commodities purchases. President Bush has threatened a veto, stating the bill is too costly - he also threatened a to veto the version passed by the house in July. Check out frac.org for updates on the 2007 Farm Bill.

Businesses Benefit from the Food Stamp Program

The Food Stamp program is advantageous to the businesses that accept EBT cards, as well as to those holding the cards. In the Lower East Side, a neighborhood that despite an influx of gentrifying people still has many poor residents, Viva Fruits and Vegetables in the Essex Market is just one example of a business benefiting from its participation in the Food Stamp program. Fresh and exotic produce is found at a bargain at the stand and in the market. The manager of Viva, Sobeida Delacruz, said "We get lots of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer for food stamps) cards." Delacruz estimates that 70 percent of the stand's business comes from the food stamp program.

Elderly Face Hunger

A new study released today finds that more than one-third of the 1.3 million elderly in New York City are worried about not getting enough food. The Council of Senior Centers and Services conducted a survey of 802 elderly people in 15 communities across all five boroughs, of which 35% reported suffering from food insecurity - even with help from senior centers and emergency food pantries. Food insecurity among New York City's elderly exceeds national and state rates, and the number is only expected to increase with the growth of the aging population.

USDA Announces New, Revised WIC Food Packages

Today, the USDA announced a new revision to WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) food packages – the first one in nearly three decades. The new packages “will include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” according to the press release. Through WIC, low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women and women with infants and children up to age five receive health and social services referrals, nutrition education, and supplemental food.

Is Hunger A Crime?

New York State announced its continued agreement with New York City’s demand to keep finger-imaging in place for food stamp applicants. El Diario published an editorial written by Joel Berg, NYCCAH’s executive director, calling attention to the announcement and denouncing the continued insistence on finger-imaging - a practice that has not been found to significantly reduce fraud and instead deters eligible people from applying. The City spends nearly $800,000 yearly on finger-imaging, while in 2006 only 31 cases of fraud were detected through finger-imaging out of 1.1 million people.

2007 Survey Findings Released at Events in all 5 boroughs!

The Coalition released its report on its 2007 Annual Hunger Survey at City Hall the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, as well as at a series of events at food pantries and soup kitchens in all five boroughs. The City Hall event was in conjunction with leading New Yorkers - Council Speaker Christine Quinn, HRA Commissioner Robert Doar, NYC food policy coordinator Ben Thomases, Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, Eric Gioia, Annabel Palma , James Vacca, Letitia James, Jessica Lappin, and executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Joel Berg.

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, State Senator John Sabini, and Queens Councilmember Eric Gioia attended the Queens specific press event at East River Development Alliance/Center of Hope International Bread of Life Food Pantry. In Brooklyn, borough president, Marty Markowitz, attended the press event at Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger food pantry.

The survey release was covered by the NYTimes, Metro NY, AM New York, NY Daily News, Times Ledger, NY1, News12 Bronx, WNYC, Bloomberg News, BBC World Service, and by over 35 foreign media outlets across the world, including Taiwan's The China Post, Slovakia's Bleskovky paper, Angola Press, and Brazil's Globo News - just to name a few. Here is a complete list.

NYCCAH's Annual Hunger Survey 2007 Findings - Rising Food Lines, Sinking Economy

The Coalition Against Hunger conducted its Annual Hunger Survey of soup kitchens and food pantries across New York City. The Coalition’s full survey report, Rising Food Lines, Sinking Economy: Increase in NYC Hunger is Early Proof of Economic Slow-Down, found that the number of people forced to use these programs soared in 2007, while food stocks declined forcing more than half of the programs to ration food.

The Coalition's survey estimated that food pantry and soup kitchen use increased by 20% in 2007, on top of an 11% increase in 2006 estimated in last year's survey.Fully 59% of agencies – a record number – said they lacked the resources to meet their growing demand in 2007, a sharp increase from the 48% who lacked such resources in 2006.

City to Give $1M to Soup Kitchens

Mayor Bloomberg announced that the City will give soup kitchens and food pantries $1 million extra funding and will provide a new 311 system for hunger assistance that will be staffed by city workers, instead of being automated. The mayor said that the money is coming from the federal government as part of the bonus the city earned by boosting food stamp program numbers. The 311 operators will handle calls about emergency food between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 3 p.m. Saturdays.

$5M Boost in State Funding to Food Banks

Governor Eliot Spitzer announced a $5 million boost in state funding to help restock the shelves of strained food banks across New York state during the holiday season. Spitzer made a visit to Bowery Mission in Manhattan on Wednesday; United Way of NYC will receive the largest portion of funding at $1,245,600. Decreases in private donations and in federal funding like TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) have contributed to drastic shortages at food banks across the state. As seen in the Coalition Against Hunger's 2007 Annual Hunger Survey, the current economic slump is not only decreasing private donations, it is increasing the number of people in need. Emergency food programs are able to purchase much more with a dollar than the average consumer as they are able to buy in bulk at low rates; if you wish to contribute to your local food agencies, please consider making a monetary donation!

NYCCAH's Website "Inspiring and Beautiful"

NYCCAH's website was included in a list of "Ten inspiring and beautiful non-profit Web designs" on the blog d'bug. The Coalition's current website was created and designed by former NYCCAH VISTA, David Hsia- thanks Dave!

"These ten registered charitable organizations are not only doing their part to enhance the quality of life for all humankind, but they are encouraging others to get involved through inspiring Web designs that communicate a clear message."

Hunger and the Farm Bill - Joel's NY Times Editorial!

Read Joel's excellent editorial on the Farm Bill published in the New York Times here. The Coalition's executive director responded to Michael Pollan's recent editorial in which Pollan referred to conservation programs and the food stamp program as mere "fleas".

The Farm Bill Has Fleas?

This Sunday's New York Times featured an op-ed article by Michael Pollan, Weed It and Reap, in which Pollan states his concerns with the current Farm Bill. Pollan,author of the New York Times bestseller The Omnivore's Dilemma, views the 2007 Farm Bill as continuing "in the traditional let-them-eat-high-fructose-corn-syrup mold." The massive piece of legislation that is the Farm Bill covers a wide variety of interests and has engendered strong feelings and differences of opinion as it comes up for vote in the Senate. NYCCAH's Joel Berg responds to some of Pollan's more pointed comments:

"Michael Pollan claims that environmentalists and the “hunger lobby” are bought off in the farm bill, giving our support to the harmful “elephant in the room” – agribusiness subsidies — in exchange for funding for conservation programs and food stamps, which he derides as merely “fleas.”

But blaming us for bad farm bills is like blaming long-suffering Mets fans – seated in the far upper deck at Shea Stadium – for the team’s overpaid players and year-end collapses.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, agribusinesses contributed more than $399 million to federal political campaigns between 1990 and 2006. In contrast, even when some anti-hunger groups (such as mine) risk alienating donors by opposing corporate farm welfare, we hardly impact this big-money debate.

Considering that the Food Stamp Program helps more than 26 million Americans each month, it is no mere “flea.” Fighting to help millions avoid starvation, anti-hunger advocates take what we can get.

Mr. Pollan betrays his class bias in saying that processed food is not “real food.” While I agree with him that we shouldn’t be subsidizing sugared cereals and candy, his blanket condemnation of food processed by machines seems based on the assumption that working Americans have nothing better to do than mill their own flour, grind their own corn, make their own apple sauce, or create their own peanut butter from scratch.

He implies that the hunger problem in America would be magically solved if the government merely stopped subsidizing corn and other commodities which incur his wrath. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 35 million Americans live in homes that face food insecurity, unable to afford enough food even with today’s low prices for subsidized commodities. Thus, while Pollan’s proposal to reduce the disparity between prices for produce and those of other agricultural products would certainly improve nutrition for some, it would do little to aid the poorest, hungriest Americans.

To truly help that population, we need to return to an America in which people earned enough through full-time work to be able to feed their families. Until that time, we still need a stronger and better-funded Food Stamp Program."

Thanks to the Boss

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger owes an enormous thanks to the one and only Bruce Springsteen. The Boss not only donated tickets for his two New York City concerts to the Coalition to auction off, he also had Coalition staff collect money during both nights in New York City. Mr. Springsteen made an announcement from the stage about World Hunger Year and the Coalition Against Hunger and the need to help fight hunger and poverty in New York City. The Coalition thanks him for his generosity and for his invaluable help in the fight against hunger. See the Boss's set list from his New York City concerts with blurbs about WHY and the Coalition here.

Empty Shelves for NYC Food Providers

Soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City are feeling the strain of not having enough food to feed all the hungry people in need. Brooklyn as the borough with the largest population and the largest number of needy people is particularly strained for resources. The Daily News highlighted the dire situation at two different emergency food providers in Brooklyn. In the last year, 52% of Brooklyn food providers have run out of food at least once. Those in need either just miss the qualifications for food stamps, or only receive enough food stamp benefits to provide meals for 2-3 weeks and then have to resort to food pantries.

Senator Schumer Calls For Urgent Passage of 2007 Farm Bill

With New York City food programs facing food and funding shortages, Senator Charles Schumer held a press conference yesterday calling for urgent passage of the 2007 Farm Bill - legislation that would greatly increase food stamp benefits and funding to urban food programs. The Coalition Against Hunger's executive director, Joel Berg, joined Senator Schumer at Yorkville Common Pantry to press for increased federal funding of the vital programs that help to feed the over 1.3 million hungry New Yorkers. Senator Schumer vowed to push for increased funding for food banks and for a $5 million increase to Food Stamps. See Senator Schumer's press release here.

Berg Calls For Revamping of AmeriCorps Program

Executive director of the Coalition Against Hunger, Joel Berg, recently published an article, Restoring the Purchasing Power of the AmeriCorps Educational Award, on ideasprimary.com. The Coalition Against Hunger hosts both AmeriCorps Direct and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers. The AmeriCorps program engages Americans in domestic national service in exchange for financial aid to help with college or graduate school. Berg calls on the next president to restructure the existing AmeriCorps program, which currently offers an education award of $4,725 - a total that was determined in 1994 at the program's launch. The award now only covers about 5% of a four-year private institution's tuition and 21% of a four-year public education.

Food Stamp Progress!

"NYCCAH is glad to report significant food stamps progress on three fronts:

1) At a meeting of the HRA Commissioner's Advisory Board yesterday, Commissioner Doar announced that the number of people receiving food stamps in New York City had increased by 22,837 people, to a level of 1,111,170, which is the highest level since January of 1998.

Program participation is now 321,774 people higher than when Mayor Bloomberg took office in January 2002. As a result, low-income New Yorkers will receive at least $500 million more in federal nutrition assistance support this year than in 2001. For families facing hunger or the threat of hunger, that is certainly good news. It is clear that the increases are due in significant part to government improvements in program access, as well as expanded public/private outreach efforts, including those in which the New York City Coalition Against Hunger is a key partner.

Even with this good news, we do note three continuing concerns:

One of the reasons more people are getting food stamps is that poverty, hunger, food insecurity, and underemployment continue to make more New Yorkers eligible for and/or in need of such food assistance. The only better news than more eligible people getting food stamps would be if the economic well-being of low-income New Yorkers improved enough to the point that many no longer needed food stamp benefits.

The rapid month-to-month fluctuations in program participations raise significant questions. While we are certainly pleased by the large, 22,837-person, increase in August, it is truly odd that there was a 6,6,51-person drop in July, as well as drops in many of the preceding months. Given that both economic conditions and the amount of outreach were relatively stable over this period of time, you would expect either a consistent increase, a consistent decrease, or small monthly fluctuations - not the very large monthly swings we have seen. This could be due to problems related to application re-certifications, processing, and/or reporting, but we don't have enough data to know for sure. The Commissioner said he would further look into this matter.

Participation is still 347,130 people (24%) below the peak participation level of March 1995, which means that low income New Yorkers are still obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars less per year in food stamps benefits than 12 years ago.

2) A Federal Court reached agreement with the Urban Justice Center and with the City, State, and Federal governments to provide millions of dollars of back food stamps payments to tens of thousands of disabled New Yorkers previously denied food stamp benefits. This provides yet more proof to back up our long-held contention that the City routinely violated the law regarding food stamps access. But more importantly, it seems like this one problem has been fixed, at least for now. See the settlement press release. Covered by NY1, WNYC, the Daily News, and the NY Times

Here's what U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said about the settlement: "Hunger is an insidious and, still, all-too-pervasive problem that a nation as rich as ours must eradicate. That is why I am pleased with today's federal court verdict that supports access to food stamps for our most vulnerable, disabled citizens. It was dreadfully wrong to have denied, for 8 years, the benefits many disabled needed to stave-off hunger. But I am wholly aware that much more must be done to ensure that all Americans have ready access to the food they need for a complete, nutritious diet."

3) The State's Working families Food Stamps Initiative has now been formally approved by USDA. See Governor Spitzer's press release, as well as the NY Times article covering the story.

We hope the State can now implement this excellent new initiative rapidly."

Joel Berg
Executive Director

Rivera Supports Classroom Breakfast

The NY Daily News published a feature today by New York City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera. Rivera responded to the school breakfast data released last month by the Food Research and Action Center (and subsequently brought to the public eye by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger in a successful press conference on the steps of City Hall.) As promoted by the Coalition, Rivera expresses support for allowing children to eat school breakfasts in classrooms, a method practiced by the highly successful Newark breakfast program.