In our first blogathon for Feeding America in early December, I highlighted the hunger problem in New York City. At that time the most recent data revealed that 1 in 6 New Yorkers were experiencing hunger. I was shocked to discover that the income disparity in the Big Apple between the top and the bottom was worse than in Mexico or Sri Lanka.
Researching tonight's diary, I am dismayed to learn that, according to the NYC Hunger Experience 2008 Update issued just days after our December blogathon, almost one-half of New York City's residents are having difficulty affording food.
NYC Hunger Experience 2008 Update: Food Poverty Soars as Recession Hits Home shows that the number of city residents experiencing difficulty affording needed food has surged over the past five years — doubling from approximately 2 million to approximately 4 million from 2003 to 2008, representing almost half of all city residents (48 percent). The number having difficulty increased by almost 1 million (26 percent) within the past year alone, the highest increase in the history of the poll. Findings also show that 3.5 million city residents are concerned about needing food assistance (food from soup kitchens, food pantries and/or food stamps) during the next year, including 2.1 million (59 percent) who have never accessed food assistance in the past.
NYC Hunger Experience 2008 Update: Food Poverty Soars as Recession Hits Home (PDF)
Please donate to Feeding America. For every $ 1 you donate, Feeding America helps provide 10 pounds of food and grocery products to men, women and children facing hunger in our country. Even if you can only give a few dollars--every dollar really helps. You can also donate money, time or food to your local food bank. Feeding America is an excellent resource to find out how to get involved locally in the fight against hunger.
The high cost of living in New York City, especially in the midst of this deep recession means that those who are already living on the edge are falling into deep poverty and even homelessness, and the middle class are also finding themselves unable to afford necessary food. The recession and rising unemployment have severely impacted NYC's revenue base and, facing a $4 billion budget shortfall, billionaire Mayor Bloomberg has announced painful budget cuts that will disproportionately impact those who are already struggling. His plans are all layoffs, benefit cuts for municipal workers, program cutting and regressive taxes, no tax raises for the wealthiest or luxury taxes. The proposed NYC cuts are on top of proposed massive cuts from the state. Food Bank of NYC president Lucy Cabrera says:
...in my 20 years at the Food Bank a food crisis like the one we are currently enduring is unprecedented.
Governor Patterson has recently announced "Increased Efforts to Ensure that Vulnerable New Yorkers have Access to Food and Nutritional Supports as State Sees Record High Enrollment in Food Stamp Program."
Authorizes $1 Million in Emergency Funding For Food Banks Across New York; Announces State Has Received Additional $364 Million in Federal Food Stamp Funding
2.1 Million Individuals Statewide Enrolled in New York’s Food Stamp Program This Year, An Increase of 300,000 Individuals from Last Year
The Foodbank of NYC recognizes that these are crucial actions to help hungry New York City residents, but emphasizes that "state emergency food funding remains below last year's level — even as need is increasing." (my emphasis)
With more people in need, drops in charitable donations, and cutbacks from the State and City, supporting food banks is particularly crucial.
Please donate to Feeding America. For every $ 1 you donate, Feeding America helps provide 10 pounds of food and grocery products to men, women and children facing hunger in our country. Even if you can only give a few dollars. You can also donate money, time or food to your local food bank. Feeding America is an excellent resource to find out how to get involved locally in the fight against hunger.
There is some good news for struggling and hungry New Yorkers with the passage of the stimulus bill: New York: More Than Expected from Stimulus:
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A state analysis released Saturday shows New York stands to get more than expected from the federal stimulus package, with at least $24.6 billion coming to the state over two years.
Gov. David Paterson said the federal aid will go to education, infrastructure projects and direct benefits to low-income and unemployed New Yorkers who are being hit especially hard by the recession.
(snip)
According to Paterson, the stimulus aid to New York will include:
-$1.3 billion more for food stamps over two years; $1.3 billion to nearly double the length of time a jobless worker can collect unemployment checks, up to 59 weeks; and $100 million more for child care services for low-income parents trying to hold jobs.
According to Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, a Clinton administration antihunger official and author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry Is America?, the federal government has a decisive role to play in ensuring that noone goes hungry in America. While charitable institutions bear the brunt of the work, they cannot and should not do it alone. It is the responsibility of our government to build up and maintain the safety net--this is part of our progressive values. Says Berg:
"The belief that charity does it better than government only ensures hunger will persist," Berg says. "When people get food from a pantry, that's not a success. It's a failure of American policy."
(snip)
Berg makes it clear that he wants one thing: to end hunger in America. Really.
He says it can be done with an approximate 41 percent increase in federal nutrition-assistance programs (about $24 billion) - mostly in food stamps.
Philadelphia Inquirer
A recent report from the office of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, however, shows that many who are eligible for food stamps don't take advantage of the program, and that funds are insufficient for high cost of living places like New York City, and that many in need may not be deemed eligible because of the federal poverty gauge calculations:
The federal food stamp program, the federal lunch program, and the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) are all vital assistance provided by Washington to New York City.The most important program, the food stamp program, provides limited benefits to this city, because many eligible families are unaware that they qualify and the assistance falls short of many the city’s recipients’ needs. New Yorkers face the additional burden of the federal poverty gauge, which is used to determine eligibility. This gauge fails to adequately account for the high cost of living in our city.
FOOD IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
How New York City’s Food Policy Holds the
Key to Hunger, Health, Jobs and the Environment (PDF)
The report has makes some recommendations for how to increase availability of food stamps and streamline the process. New York City Coalition against Hunger has a great fact sheet to help educate the public at large about food stamps: What's the most effective way to stop hunger? Discover the top 10 myths about Food Stamps.
As the "Food in the Public Interest" report suggests, the calculation for the poverty line needs to be updated as it does not accurately reflect those in need both across the country and particularly in high-cost-of-area-living areas like New York City:
Findings show that low and middle-income New Yorkers, households with children and seniors are among the most vulnerable. The percent of residents with difficulty affording food include:
- 73 percent of New Yorkers with household incomes of less than $25,000 per year, a 24 percent increase from 49 percent in 2003.
- 59 percent of New Yorkers with household incomes of $25,000 to $49,999 per year, almost tripled from 21 percent in 2003.
- 56 percent of New York City households with children, an increase of 75 percent from 32 percent in 2003.
- 47 percent of seniors ages 65 and older, more than doubled from 23 percent in 2003.
The poll findings are consistent with research by Columbia University showing that throughout the U.S, residents need at least 200 percent of the poverty level (approximately $34,000 for a family of three) to afford necessities and that in New York City, residents need an income of at least 250 percent of the federal poverty level (approximately $43,000 annually for a family of three) to meet basic needs. Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that 3.1 million New York City residents (38 percent) live below 200 percent of poverty and 4.4 million (53 percent) live below 300 percent of poverty (approximately $51,000 for a family of three).
NYC Hunger Experience 2008 Update: Food Poverty Soars as Recession Hits Home (PDF)
Our food pantries are doing amazing work providing for our families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors in need. And they need our help. But we also need to lobby our elected officials to let them know that it is our collective responsibility through our government to strengthen and maintain our safety net. The approach of the stimulus is an excellent first step. But our government needs to do more.
As Joel Berg wrote in a WaPo op-ed: No Rescue for the Hungry:
Our country has been told that a gargantuan government rescue of the private sector is necessary because the collapse of major financial institutions would lead to unthinkable outcomes for society. Almost as if by magic, our nation's leaders conjure up vast sums to respond to this crisis.
Yet when advocates point out that our nation is facing an altogether different kind of crisis, one of soaring hunger and homelessness, and that a large-scale bailout is needed to prevent social service providers nationwide from buckling under the increasing load, we are told that the money these agencies need just doesn't exist.
(snip)
Just as it is unthinkable for the country to allow financial giants to go belly up, it should be unthinkable to look the other way as tens of millions of low-income Americans (the types of people who clean the offices of AIG and Fannie Mae at night) go without food or shelter. It's time to get our priorities in order.
Amen, Joel.
Please donate, if you can, to Feeding America. Every dollar buys 10 pounds of food.
Feeding America also has great ideas and tools for volunteering and activism.
For more information about hunger in NYC and how to help, please visit:
Gratitudes to all of you for helping our neighbors in need by donating to Feeding America and all the other myriad ways you can help.
Gratitudes to all of the outstanding diarists, who contributed their work to this blogathon: noweasels, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, boatsie, Hardhat Democrat, boatsie, JellybearDemMom, blue jersey mom, rb137, Timroff, and Meteor Blades.
And gratitudes to noweasels for organizing all of it.
Thank you for reading and feeding. May peace prevail.