Advocacy
Approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers rely on soup kitchens and food pantries — the majority of whom are women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities.
Your voice can help the Food Bank For New York City make a positive difference for New Yorkers who struggle to choose between food, utility bills, rent and medical expenses. The Food Bank's Advocacy Center provides current opportunities to encourage a lasting effect on the situation of low-income New Yorkers through legislative change, awareness of assistance opportunities and public hunger-awareness.
Actions you can take now:
Mayor Proposes Elimination of EFAP — Critical Piece of Hunger Safety Net
Last month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened to eliminate Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) funding as a cost-saving measure, citing proposed reductions in overall state funding. Just 0.017 percent of New York City's budget funds EFAP — but cutting this program would devastate many soup kitchens and food pantries and slash a critical safety net for New Yorkers who can't afford to eat. Use our talking points and contact legislators today!
Our Kids Need Universal School Meals
Even though they're eligible, many low-income children and teens don't participate in free school meals. Families can find the application process too difficult or confusing to complete. Some students skip the meals to avoid the stigma, not wanting to be seen as "poor." Universal School Meals would eliminate the application process, ensuring no young person has to forego meals because of stigma, confusion or red tape. Congress can make this possible by authorizing Universal School Meals during its upcoming vote on Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Take a moment to make a big difference — find out how you can help support Universal School Meals.
Help Update Outdated Poverty Measures
The federal poverty measure created in the 1960s, used to determine eligibility and benefit levels for safety net programs like food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), is based on a number of outdated and incorrect assumptions about the expenses low-income Americans face. For example, it assumes the cost of living is about the same in New York City as elsewhere in the country. As a result, many safety net programs fall short of meeting the need. The Measuring American Poverty Act of 2009, currently in Congress, would create a new poverty measure that addresses the limitations of the existing measure and brings it up to date. Join Food Bank in supporting this legislation, and find more information here.
Sign On to the Anti-Hunger Policy Platform
Developed during a series of 2006 meetings held by a collective of city and state anti-hunger organizations, the Anti-Hunger Policy Platform for New York State and City, 2007–2012 addresses specific federal, state and city hunger-related policies and funding. Focus areas include emergency food funding; access to and availability of government nutrition-assistance programs; and long-term solutions, including the development of city- and statewide offices of food, hunger and nutrition policy. Sign the petition to show your support — as an Individual or an Organization
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