Children

With one out of five New York City children relying on emergency food, kids are one of the largest groups accessing our citywide network of community-based member agencies. Recognizing the severity of childhood hunger in our city, the Food Bank provides a multi-pronged approach to fighting this problem. Read below for key statistics on childhood hunger in our city and stories on the children we help.

• Almost one-half (47 percent) of NYC households with children had difficulty affording needed food in 2009 — a 47 percent increase from 2003. (NYC Hunger Experience 2009)
• More than one out of four (27 percent) children in NYC (18 percent in the US) lived below the federal poverty level in 2008 (approximately $18,000 per year for a family of three). (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2008) 
• Approximately 397,000 children were served by soup kitchens and food pantries in 2007 — a 48 percent increase since 2004. (NYC Hunger Safety Net 2007)
• Among NYC households with school-age children accessing emergency food, more than three-quarters (79 percent) participate in the National School Lunch Program while only 59 percent and 39 percent participate in the School Breakfast and Summer Food Service Program respectively. (NYC Hunger Safety Net 2007)

Learn more about childhood hunger in our city with the Food Bank policy paper, Child Hunger: The Unheathly Return on Missed Investments.