New York Doubles Hunger Prevention Funding

New York Doubles Hunger Prevention Funding



November 2007
 
 Governor Eliot Spitzer 
visited the Bowery Mission in New York City Wednesday to announce that 
additional $5 million will be available to help food pantries and soup 
kitchens across the state restock their shelves during this holiday 
season. 
Food banks and other food rescue organizations are facing a decrease in 
federal funding and private donations this holiday season, and food bank 
officials say inventories across the state are at record lows. More than 
one million New Yorkers, including one in every five children, rely on 
emergency food programs to get by, according to the Food Bank for New York 
City. 
"We absolutely must continue to support the critical work of New York's 
emergency food network, and I am pleased we can be of some assistance 
during this particularly tough holiday season," said Governor Spitzer. 
"These volunteers help ensure that our state's most vulnerable residents - 
the indigent, children and seniors - receive the food they need to remain 
healthy and productive." 
John Evers, executive director of the Food Bank Association of New York 
State, said, "By directly addressing the issue of hunger and increasing 
state aid to the food banks, Governor Spitzer shows us first hand that he 
understands the mission of emergency feeding programs and the difficult 
financial picture we are facing." 
Part of the unprecedented decline in available food is due to decreased 
private sector donations related to the economy and part is due to a 
reduction in federal support for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, 
TEFAP, the governor's office said. 
 
As authorized by the farm bill, Congress appropriated $189.5 million for 
TEFAP for FY 2007, about the same level of funding as the previous year. 
The farm bill is the federal legislation that covers the country's largest 
anti-hunger programs, including TEFAP, the Food Stamp Program, and the 
Commodity Supplemental Food Program. 
But the current farm bill expired September 30, and the new farm bill, 
called the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007, is now working its way 
through Congress. 
The House passed its version of the bill this summer, but earlier this 
month the legislation stalled in the Senate in a partisan dispute. 
In addition, President George W. Bush has threatened to veto both the 
Senate and House versions of the bill, and some analysts say a new farm 
bill might not be enacted until after the November 2008 election. 
Whenever the next farm bill does become law, Governor Spitzer says it is 
unlikely New York State will receive a restoration of the $10 million 
previously allocated in TEFAP funding. 
The New York state budget for the current year already includes an 
increase of $5 million for emergency food. Coupled with this new addition 
of $5 million, emergency food providers say they will be able to maintain 
services to the hungry. 
Today's increase brings the total state and federal funding available for 
the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, HPNAP, that 
supports the emergency food providers to nearly $34 million, an increase 
of almost 50 percent over last year. 
Gordon Campbell, chief executive of United Way of New York City, said, 
"Governor Spitzer's announcement today of $5 million additional for HPNAP 
is a wonderful and most welcome Thanksgiving gift to so many New Yorkers 
who, but for this program, would not be able to access healthy and 
nutritious foods. We at United Way are proud of our role in funding 
emergency food providers, enabling them to make nutritious foods and 
locally grown fresh produce available in low-income communities throughout 
the five boroughs." 
The additional $5 million will be allocated to the eight food banks across 
the state and the United Way of New York City to purchase and distribute 
foods to about 2,500 food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the state. 

Because food banks can purchase food in bulk at low rates, every dollar 
provided to the emergency food network is amplified. One dollar to the 
emergency food network can purchase and distribute four dollars worth of 
food. 
The private not-for-profit emergency food network will now be able to 
maintain historical service levels at over 120 million meals provided per 
year. 
The America's Second Harvest Network of food banks and food-rescue 
organizations provides emergency hunger relief services to an estimated 
25.3 million low-income people each year, or roughly nine percent of all 
Americans. The organization says this represents an eight percent increase 
since 2001 and an 18 percent increase since 1997. 
In New York state, the 10 America's Second Harvest member food banks and 
food rescue organizations serve 500,000 people each month. 
According to the federal government's own measure of hunger, 70 percent of 
all client households served by the America's Second Harvest Network are 
"food insecure." 
In addition to low incomes, recipients of emergency food typically do not 
have a lot of resources. America's Second Harvest says 12 percent are 
homeless, a 26 percent increase since 2001, and 46 percent do not have 
access to a working car. 
Only 35 percent of the clients the organization serves are currently 
receiving food stamps. Recipients report that food stamp benefits last an 
average of 2.5 weeks a month. 
The Bush administration has allocated at least $1 million in grants for 
public and private nonprofit community and faith-based organizations to 
improve awareness of USDA's Food Stamp Program for low-income households. 
The purpose of food stamp outreach is not to provide food, but to inform 
and educate potentially eligible low-income persons about the nutrition 
benefits of the program, the eligibility rules and how to apply. 
The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, serves more than 26 million 
people each month, and currently reaches about 65 percent of those who are 
eligible for benefits. 

---