New York Tops Nation in Economic Inequality Despite Mayor’s Anti-Poverty Strategy

The income gap between the poor and the rich is greater in New York than in any other state in the nation, according to 2007 American Community Survey data released on August 26.

The data indicated that, though nationwide poverty levels have remained relatively stable over the past year, the inequality of wealth in New York City exceeds that of Mexico and Sri Lanka, with the poorest 20% of New Yorkers earning only 2.9% of the state’s income.

“When our income inequality is closer to the developing world than to the rest of the industrialized world, we should be ashamed of ourselves,” said NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg.

Though the number of New York City residents living in poverty dipped slightly in 2007, one in five New Yorkers continue to live in poverty. While some viewed the slight decrease as a sign of progress, it can also be attributed in part to the number of low-income residents who have recently left the City due to the rising cost of living.

The report further showed that the number of City residents living in poverty grew from 1.491 million in 2002 to 1.50 million in 2007, despite the implementation of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vaunted anti-poverty initiative.

Continued Berg, “These federal numbers are the clearest indication yet that Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-poverty strategy – comprised mostly of small-scale, underfunded pilot programs – is failing to make a significant dent in the City’s massive poverty and hunger. At the same time, incomes for the richest New Yorkers have continued to skyrocket. I hope this new data is a wake-up call for all our elected officials to convince them that we must devote real resources to our anti-poverty efforts.”

The New and Improved 2008 Farm Bill

On Friday, August 22, the USDA released a comprehensive comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill and previous farm bill legislation. The report highlights many changes that received little public attention during the extended debate surrounding the omnibus legislation. For example, the 2008 Farm Bill allows states to establish methods whereby food stamp applicants can sign their application by over the phone, potentially cutting down on long lines at benefits offices. The 2008 Farm Bill also includes provisions to protect food stamp applicants from discrimination based on age, rehabilitation status or disability. In addition to measures designed to help low-income Americans gain access to benefits, the 2008 Bill also authorizes $15 million a year in matching grants to improve food bank infrastructure, which would include funds to purchase more locally-sourced food. For a complete listing of legislative changes in the 2008 Farm Bill, please visit The Farm Bill Side-by-Side.

More Hunger for the Poor, Fewer Tax Hikes for the Rich

For the second time in five months, Governor David Paterson and the State Legislature slashed food funding to emergency soup kitchens and food pantries, despite the soaring need at such agencies.

In April, the Legislature and the Governor cut by 16% the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), the main source of State funding for charitable food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks that feed hungry New Yorkers in suburban, rural and urban communities across the state. On top of that, the State just agreed to an additional 6% cut in any HPNAP funding for this year that has not already been spent, thereby cutting another $1.2 million out of the HPNAP budget.

Governor Paterson joined the State Senate in rejecting a State Assembly plan that would have prevented funding cuts by slightly increasing the income tax rate on New Yorkers who make over $1 million a year.

“Given that Governor Paterson previously had such a progressive record in public life, it is particularly distressing that he has twice chosen to prove his supposed ‘fiscal toughness’ in his new job by balancing the budget on the back of the state’s most vulnerable residents,” said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. “Surely a much better alternative would have been restoring previous, fairer levels of taxation to the very wealthiest people who earn income in New York.”

The cuts come on the heels of a New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) report that City-supported pantries served 1.39 million meals in March and April, 9.3% more than the same period in 2007.

For soup kitchen and food pantry customers, the cuts mean less food and more hunger. Governor Paterson has utilized the occasion of the recent budget cuts to emphasize his sensitivity to criticism from agencies affected by recent cuts, rather than acknowledging the needs of New Yorkers who have been forced to rely on these agencies. Paterson’s fits of conscience, however, have not led to increased funding for programs that stop children from going hungry. Said Natasha, a pantry customer who waited in line for two hours for a bag of packaged food, “the Governor should speak to the people who go through this.”

Food Stamp Use Grows as More City Greenmarkets Accept EBT

Food stamp purchases at City Greenmarkets nearly doubled in early July as compared to totals for the same time last year. City Council has outfitted 14 Greenmarkets with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) terminals, making it easier and more discrete for food stamp recipients to purchase fresh, local produce in their neighborhoods. This is part of an ongoing trend: Total food stamp purchases at Greenmarkets have continued to rise exponentially in the past several years, from $1,000 in 2005 to over $40,000 in 2007.

Greenmarkets officials attribute the recent increase in food stamp spending to extensive community outreach funded by City Council and new staff positions dedicated to EBT sales. “As word is spreading about food stamp access at Greenmarkets, we are seeing families come out and shop in record numbers. This dramatic increase is further proof that New Yorkers are hungry for healthy food options,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Message to Governor Paterson: Tax Rich Before Axing Government Services

Low-income families are extremely vulnerable to economic downturn, and so too are the government programs that help these families afford to eat, care for their children and defend their rights. Governor Paterson has called for $1 billion in cuts to these services, while referring to alternate plans, such as revenue-raising, as a last resort.

Given the robust growth of the gulf between the richest and poorest New Yorkers, lobbyist Anne Erickson and Kristin Brown Lilly are calling on Paterson to save funding for these programs by adding a small surcharge to the income taxes of those state residents who make over $500,000 a year. Questioning the logic of axing services in a time of critical need, Erickson and Brown Lilly note that state funding for legal services for low-income residents have been cut by 75% in the past year, and warn that emergency food programs and childcare assistance will be similarly affected if the current plan is not met with immediate opposition.

The state already cut funding for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) by 16% in April, further limiting the overtaxed agency’s ability to support statewide soup kitchens and food pantries, and the clients who are forced to rely on their services. Further cuts could be crippling. “The governor's proposals…will cut to the core of programs and services,” say Erickson and Brown Lilly. “Ensuring access to justice, child care, emergency food and other critical human services should be among our top priorities, not among the first services to be jettisoned in a time of economic downturn.”

Senator Schumer Says Bush Administration Winning “Bad Economic Policy Olympics”

The Consumer Price index reported a 5.6% increase in the cost of many common products since July 2007, marking the most dramatic increase since the recession of the early 1990s.

Accelerated inflation has had a swift negative affect on the spending power of American workers. Blue-collar workers wages, when adjusted for inflation, fell by 3.1 percent since last year.

The economic downturn has prompted many businesses to raise prices in order to keep pace with production costs and forced many Americans to rely on credit in order to afford necessities. Fuel prices have recently declined, but that improvement has done little to mitigate the rising costs of everything from clothing to education.

Senator Charles Schumer emphasized the need for further government intervention to improve the economic forecast prior to the end of President Bushs term. “If this administration were competing in the bad economic policy Olympics, they’d receive four gold medals today,” said Schumer. “It is long past time for this administration to help families and workers compete in a stagnating economic environment—economic stimulus should be at the top of the agenda before this administration throws in the towel.”

Low-Income Workers Cite Need for Better Government Services

Though many low-income workers believe that economic success can still be attained through hard work, the majority believe that government policies have contributed in some part to their difficult financial situation. In a new study sponsored by Harvard University, the Washington Post and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, more than half of the low-wage workers surveyed believed that government programs aren’t helping to improve their quality of life.

The study paints a picture of low-income workers who are anxious about an economic future and their growing vulnerability to economic fluctuations. Many have been forced to borrow money or sell possessions in order to afford food and fully half of respondents claimed that they could only stay financially afloat for a month if they lost their current job.

Low-income workers included in the study called upon the government to make affordable health insurance, cheaper gas, and financial assistance for higher education and public works jobs a top priority. Respondents also noted several government programs that have had a substantial impact on their lives, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and children’s health insurance programs funded through Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The combined concerns of low-income workers could soon become priorities for middle-income workers as well as declining economic conditions begin to penetrate higher up the economic ladder. Beth Shulman, a scholar at the Future of Work Project notes the great potential power of these grievances to spark widespread political action. “I don’t think we want to live in a country where people are working and doing what they are supposed to do but yet they can’t get the basics,” said Shulman.

Bitter Winter Ahead as Fuel Costs Soar

Soup kitchens and food pantries across the country are already anticipating the increased need for their services in what will likely be a desperate winter. Home heating costs are expected to increase up to 100% from last year as the cost of heating oil has spiked. These increases will make it difficult for even middle-class households to afford other basic expenses such as rent, food, and healthcare.

In the past several months, rising food prices have already contributed to increased demand at emergency food providers as low-income families have been unable to afford the food they need. Experts warn that the cost of fuel will intensify the current demand and will potentially force many middle-income families to seek emergency food services.

State governors and attorney generals from across the nation are pressing for extended coverage from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), though the average 2008 family heating grant of $359 will only slightly offset fuel costs.

New York State has already reported an over 40% increase in the number of homes whose utilities were shut off due to back payment in April 2008 as compared to April 2007. The City may join Boston officials in preparing for crisis by beginning to identify warming centers where City residents can go when temperatures dip to dangerous levels.

Bloomberg’s Homelessness Initiative Fails to Deliver Results

The number of New York City families living in homeless shelters has not decreased despite Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-homelessness initiative which increased spending on homelessness prevention services by 20%. The initiative began in 2004 and aimed to reduce homelessness in New York but did not put forth any concrete target goals.

The Bloomberg administration has touted progress reports as essential measures of city initiatives. However, according to a report issued on August 7^th by City Councilmember Bill de Blasio, Chair of the General Welfare Committee, Bloomberg’s initiative has failed to deliver timely evaluations of anti-homelessness programs. De Blasio supported the intention of Bloomberg’s offensive, but emphasized that it’s just not enough to set goals without reporting on the results of this initiative.

De Blasio’s report follows the July announcement of a new citywide formula for calculating poverty which sets the Citys current poverty level at 23%, higher than the federal estimate of 19%. The announcement of the new formula was not accompanied by any statement addressing the overall decline or increase of poverty levels during the Bloomberg administration.

Bloomberg’s initiative has increased spending for the Human Resources Administration which administers the federal Food Stamps program. HRA has suffered from processing delays and widespread inefficiency, leading to an April court order that forced the department to comply with food stamp processing deadlines. The Bloomberg administration also continues to enforce the finger-imaging of food stamp applicants, despite the states repeal of the finger-imaging requirement in 2007.

Calls for Improvements Ahead of 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization

In the wake of the 2008 Farm Bill reauthorization, legislators and anti-hunger advocates are preparing for the 2009 Reauthorization of Child Nutrition and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Programs. The Child Nutrition Program includes funding for subsidized free and low-cost school and summer meals for children, while the WIC Program offers nutrition assistance to low-income pregnant or breastfeeding mothers and children under 5. Funding for these programs will likely be affected by the recent increase in food prices which have significantly raised the cost of both WIC-authorized items and school meal production, and concurrently led to higher demand for nutrition assistance.

Representatives of the USDA have argued for simplification and standardization of the school meal application process, which would rely on government data to expedite applications. USDA representatives also support increasing the number of children eligible for free meals by eliminating the social security number requirement for applicants. Participants in recent town hall meetings sponsored by the School Nutrition Association identified the need for improved and uniform nutrition standards, and have called upon legislators to eliminate reduced-price meals in favor of free meals for all qualified applicants. All parties stressed the need for increased federal funding for both Child Nutrition and WIC.

The Child Nutrition Act was signed by President Johnson in 1966 as an improvement upon the earlier School Lunch Act of 1946. Upon signing the Act, Johnson stated that good nutrition is essential to good learning.

The USDA is currently holding listening sessions in U.S. cities to gather opinion about reauthorization priorities. Comments are also being accepted via regulations.gov and may be faxed to (703) 305-2879.

Interactive Maps and New Summer Meals Sites Make it Easier to Feed New York Kids

NYCCAH has partnered with the city to create new, interactive Summer Meals maps, making it even easier to for New Yorkers to find Summer Meals sites in their neighborhoods.

The Summer Meals program offers free lunch and breakfast to all children under 19 years of age regardless of their income, citizenship status, residency, or public school enrollment. Children are entitled to meals just by showing up at a Summer Meals site.

This summer, NYCCAH has worked to provide summer meals at fifteen soup kitchens and food pantries, which joined the over 700 City Summer Meals sites operating in 2008. The new Summer Meals map allows users to search for sites by borough or download a comprehensive list of sites across the City.

“We greatly appreciate that the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Education worked with us to pilot these new sites at panties and kitchens,” said NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg. “Now that there are additional sites and that they are easier to find, we need to get the word out that these free Summer Meals are available. Given our current food prices crises, every bit of free food that struggling families can access for their children helps.”

Summer Meals will be served through August 29.

USDA Announces Increased Funding for Senior Farmers’ Markets

On July 30, 2008, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced that Congress allocated $21 million in grant awards to 49 state agencies and tribal organizations for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program in final Fiscal Year 2008 grant awards. Of the $21 million total allocated in the final awards, New York State received $1,906,553.

The $21 million allocation represented $5 million more to this program than the Bush administration previously allocated in FY 2008 grant awards in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget.

The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides low-income seniors with coupons that can be exchanged for locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.

The program targets low-income seniors, defined as individuals who are at least 60 years old and who have household incomes of equal to or less than 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines.

Queens Families Left Out of Greenmarket Initiatives

For many Queens families, the existence of neighborhood greenmarkets has done little to increase their access to fresh produce.

The greenmarkets in Jackson Heights and Astoria are the only two Queens markets currently accepting food stamps. In addition, the borough has yet to be included in the City's Health Bucks program, which offers $2 greenmarket vouchers to food stamp customers for every $5 spent at a farmers’ market. The Health Bucks program was recently extended to residents of the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn after funding for the program was doubled.

Many neighborhoods in Queens have long been identified as food deserts. However, public perception of the borough may contribute to the unequal service distribution between Queens and other boroughs. "People have the stereotype in their minds about the kind of neighborhoods that this is a problem in, and there's a stereotype of Queens [as] just a middle-class borough," said NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg. "A lot of people are struggling in Queens and falling out of the middle class, and a lot of immigrants are coming in who are poor.”

Berg joined Margaret Hoffman of the Council on the Environment in New York City in calling for increased food stamp and Health Bucks program coverage in Queens.

Representative Velázquez Calls for Extended Food Stamp Coverage as Job Market Wanes

For New Yorkers seeking employment, food stamps can offer a financial lifeline during the job-seeking process. A new proposal would extend the time period in which job seekers can receive benefits, as food prices continue to rise and the job market remains weak.

On July 29, Representative Nydia Velázquez of New York’s 12^th District introduced the Food Security Act of 2008, which would make food stamp benefits available to unemployed Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) for a full twelve months. Current law limits unemployed ABAWDs to three months of food stamp benefits for every 36 month period in which they remain unemployed. Velázquez’s measure comes on the heels of a dismal season for job seekers, with the unemployment rate in May spiking to the highest monthly rate in 20 years. In 2007, 1.6 million City residents stated that they would be unable to afford necessary food items after losing their household income. “When New Yorkers find their resources stretched thin, the food stamp program puts meals on millions of tables,” said Velázquez. “Extending the program would offer fast relief for those struggling to make ends meet.”

Velázquez was joined in calling for the measure by NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg and representatives of the Food Bank for New York City, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the Department of Labor.

More College Students Using Food Pantries

According to reports from college campuses, more students are turning to college-run food pantries to subsidize their nutrition needs and students who already receive food stamps are vocalizing their need for more assistance. Despite specific eligibility requirements for student food stamp applicants, many college students may still qualify for food stamps, especially otherwise-eligible working students, students with children and those already receiving other government benefits.

Former Benedict College student, Terry Capleton applied for food stamps while in college and subsequently founded a Facebook group for college students who receive food stamp benefits. The group’s membership has grown as food pantries near college campuses have reported increased demand from student populations. Students cite loss of parental support and changes in meal plan status as reasons for seeking out food assistance. "There is a stereotype that well, if they're in college, they can afford to eat," said Larry Brickner-Wood, director of a food pantry at New Hampshire University. "But there are some students who have hardly any disposable income, and because of that, the food budget suffers. They either eat really badly, or they just don't eat enough." Low-income and non-traditional aged students have suffered more as a result of rising food costs, but Brickner-Wood describes some college students seeking food assistance as “typical, traditional students.”

Senate Hearing Urges Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity

25 million American children are obese or at risk of becoming obese, according to data presented at the Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity on July 16. The Senate heard testimony from medical professionals and policymakers, who emphasized the strong connection between poverty and childhood obesity, while stressing the widespread consequences of inaction in response to what Senator Chris Dodd called a “medical emergency.”

Jeff Levi, Ph.D, Executive Director of Trust for America’s Health offered testimony based on National Survey on Children’s Health reports that children of more affluent households are less likely to be overweight or obese. To illustrate this in concrete terms, in 2003, 22.4% of children below 100% of the poverty threshold were overweight, while only 9.1 percent of children at 400% of the poverty threshold were overweight.

A major reason for the disproportionate rates of obesity is access to affordable and nutritious food. Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, a child advocacy group cited a Food Trust report showing that “people who live in lower-income areas without access to supermarkets appear to suffer from diet-related deaths at a higher rate than that experienced by the population as a whole.”

Obesity is a health issue with wide-ranging effects on children’s health and well-being. Childhood obesity is associated with depression, very early diagnoses of type 2 diabetes, low school performance, and a low quality of life, as reported in medical testimony by Dr. Francine Kaufman former National President of the American Diabetes Association, and Dr. Margaret Grey, Dean of the Yale School of Nursing. Annual hospital costs associated with obese children and youth have more than tripled since the 1980s, with obesity-related medical costs expected to rise as the current generation ages.

The lack of emphasis on prevention has led to a snowballing crisis which demands immediate reform. Levi argued that the source of the problem is largely environmental and also the result of poor policy choices. For example, school reform initiatives in recent years, namely No Child Left Behind, have effectively excised physical education funding and nutrition requirements from many school curricula and food programs and have left children unequipped to make healthy choices.

However, while immediate action is necessary, witnesses also emphasized that it would take wide-ranging and comprehensive solutions in order to counteract these problems. All testifying witnesses urged that government must acknowledge the profound effect rising childhood obesity rates will have on all levels of public life.

Kaufman illustrated the scope of childhood obesity problem when recounting her struggle to treat a 13-year-patient diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Said Kaufman, “for my patient to do well, the world in which she lived would have to change. Her neighborhood, her school, the healthcare system that focuses more on treatment than prevention- our country- would have to transform so that it promotes and supports healthy lifestyle habits and make the healthy choices the easy choices- the accessible and affordable choices.”

Lesley called on Congress to increase physical activity requirements in schools, support new obesity prevention initiatives, and improve medical care and nutrition programs for all children, which includes extending State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds to cover obesity-related expenses. He further urged Congress to support measures that would insure the safety of children within their neighborhoods and near their schools, making it safer for children to increase their physical activity.

Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Use Increases Sharply, as City Welfare Rolls Decline

In March and April, City-supported food pantries served 1.39 million meals, marking a 9.3% increase compared to the 1.27 million meals served during the same time period in 2007, according to the New York City Department of Social Services. Soup kitchens were similarly affected, serving 559,798 meals in March and April, up 8.8% from last year. These sharp increases in soup kitchen and food pantry use coincide with reports that boast that the number of New York City residents receiving public assistance is at its lowest in 42 years.

“When New Yorkers need to obtain more than a million charity meals in just one month, something is very wrong,” said NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg. “There are many causes of hunger, poverty and homelessness in New York City, but these figures suggest that the way welfare reform is being implemented has increased poverty in the City.” Berg called on Mayor Bloomberg to re-examine current anti-poverty initiatives to ensure that welfare reform moves beyond the superficial success of decreasing the number of public assistance recipients without a long-term plan for their economic security, especially in times of recession.

The rate of client increase among all City soup kitchens and food pantries is likely higher than the Department of Social Services number, as only half of all City food programs receive City support, including many of the largest and most well-established programs. In 2007, 81% of soup kitchens and food pantries reported an increase in clients, with 40% stating that the number of clients served had increased “greatly,” according to NYCCAH’s Annual Hunger Survey. These numbers coincided with the onset of the current recession, which has led to an overwhelming demand for the services provided at soup kitchens and food pantries across the nation.

Outreach, Language Access Needed to Counter Lagging Immigrant Food Stamp Enrollment

Immigrants are disproportionately vulnerable to economic insecurity and remain disproportionately underserved by the food stamps program, according to a study entitled “Nourishing NYC: Increasing Food Stamps Access to Immigrant Communities,” released by the Urban Justice Center last week. According to the study, eligible non-citizens are only 77% as likely as citizens to receive food stamp benefits, with citizen children of non-citizens remaining particularly underserved.

Current law allows immigrants who have legally resided in the United States for at least five years to participate in the food stamps program. All legal immigrants under the age of 18 or receiving disability benefits, regardless of their length or residence are also eligible. The Department of Justice states that legal immigrants cannot face deportation or “public charge” designation (which can negatively affect immigration status) as a result of applying for nutrition benefits. Additionally, illegal immigrants are granted certain protections from immigration status disclosure when applying for benefits for their resident children.

A complicated history of immigration requirements on both the City and national level has contributed to widespread misperceptions about eligibility requirements which, when compounded with language barriers and a lack of targeted outreach to immigrant communities, has led to lagging participation rates for immigrants and their citizen children.

The Urban Justice Center called on the federal government to extend food stamp benefits to all lawful immigrants, regardless of their length of residency. City and state authorities were urged to increase language access through community pre-screening programs, modeled after the Food Card Access Project and the FoodChange outreach program, which have effectively increased immigrant food stamp enrollment. Further city and state recommendations included providing service notices in the seven languages in which applications are currently available: English, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish. For the over 83,000 non-citizens in New York City who are eligible for food stamps but do not receive them, these policy recommendations are a step towards granting them the federal nutrition assistance to which they are entitled.

Senator John Edwards Brings Half in Ten Campaign to East Harlem Food Pantry

On Wednesday, July 9, Senator John Edwards met with local food pantry clients and toured the Yorkville Common Pantry in East Harlem as a part of the “Half in Ten” Campaign, which aims to reduce poverty in the United States by 50% in ten years. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger and World Hunger Year joined Senator Edwards in bringing attention to widespread hunger and poverty in New York City.

Prior to his tour, Senator Edwards met privately with a group of current and former recipients of food from emergency food programs, like Yorkville Common Pantry, who shared their experiences and discussed methods for combating hunger and improving food access.

Following the meeting, Edwards emphasized the growing prevalence of food insecurity among working families both in New York City and the nation. “When you have people - mothers, children, entire families – going to bed hungry right here in the richest nation in the world, that's not just wrong – it's immoral. I have seen it all over the country, and I have also seen the hard work and dedication of the good people like the folks who are here today, who have dedicated their lives to putting an end to this injustice. It is time we all joined in the fight, and made a nationwide commitment to ending poverty in America."

As Chair of Half in Ten, Senator Edwards is working with partner organizations to increase public and government awareness of issues that affect the poor and middle class, strengthen a constituency to demand action on poverty legislation, and advance policies that assist struggling American families. Current Half in Ten policy initiatives include increasing the minimum wage to 50% of the average hourly wage, expanding access to the Earned Income Tax Credit, and guaranteeing childcare assistance and early education opportunities for low-income families.

These initiatives would profoundly impact the 1.3 million New Yorkers living in food insecure households, says NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg. "Poverty in the U.S. and New York are unacceptable, and Senator Edwards is absolutely correct in calling for it to be cut it in half in a decade. In a society with as much wealth as modern America, hunger should be doubly unacceptable. The Senator's visit not only highlights the growing domestic hunger problem, but enables us to begin a national discussion of the basic steps necessary to make sure that all Americans have access to the food they need to lead productive and healthy lives.”

As Schools Close for Vacation, Doors Open for Summer Meals

As New York City children celebrate the beginning of summer vacation, sites across the five boroughs are ensuring that children can continue to receive free, nutritious meals throughout the summer. Over 700 hundred New York City schools, community centers, public pools, soup kitchens and food pantries participate in the federally-funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), offering breakfast and lunch throughout the summer to all children under 19. SFSP’s summer meals serve as a reliable source of nutritious food for children whose choices are otherwise limited to the offerings nearby fast food restaurants and bodegas, and who are more likely to gain weight and develop poor eating habits over the summer than during the school year. For students like ninth-grader Jessica Silva, free SFSP meals have already become an integral part of summer break. Says Silva, “If you don’t have money, or are just hungry and want free food, you can come here. It’s really good, too.”

Though program policies focus on making summer meals accessible-no fee, application, or ID is required to receive meals-nationwide participation rates are still well-below those of in-school free and reduced-price meal programs, which also suffer from underutilization. “Tens of thousands of [New York City] children are being reached through this program but hundreds of thousands of children need it, so we really need to get the word out about kids and parents needing to call 311 to find sites nearest them,” said New York City Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Joel Berg. In an effort to increase awareness of SFSP, NYCCAH continues to conduct outreach among soup kitchen and food pantry customers while recruiting agencies to serve as future summer meals sites. Congress is set to review funding for SFSP, school meals and WIC before current funds expire in September 2009.

Visit the New York Department of Education for participating summer meals sites near you.