  “The teachers and students love the CookShop Program. "I just walked into a bilingual classroom and it was the first time they had seen cauliflower and collard greens. They were amazed with the texture.” —P.S. 19 Assistant Principal Melissa Acevedo-Lamarca
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Food Poverty in NYCIn New York City, one of the richest cities in the world, food poverty is around every corner. Throughout the five boroughs, approximately 1.4 million people — largely comprised of women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities — rely on soup kitchens and food pantries. In addition, the number of New Yorkers experiencing difficulty affording food for themselves and their families has increased by 60 percent to approximately 3.3 million since 2003. Food poverty in New York City results from problems affording or accessing needed food. Low-income New Yorkers often have to make choices between providing enough food for themselves or their families and paying the month's rent or utility bills. With food prices steadily rising, difficulty affording groceries among New Yorkers with already stretched budgets has reached crisis levels. The steadily rising cost of living is also being felt by middle-income New Yorkers, who are increasingly experiencing difficulty affording food. Meanwhile, a number of financial pressures — including health issues, health insurance issues and low wages — continue to affect New Yorkers with low to moderate incomes. In addition to financial problems, low-income neighborhoods throughout New York City are characterized by a lack of affordable, nutritious food. Add to that equation chronically stretched budgets and the prevalence of low-cost, low-quality food and it is easy to understand the challenges of leading a truly healthy lifestyle in many neighborhoods — which lead to high concentrations of diet-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
Meet the People We HelpLearn more about the largest groups relying on emergency food in New York City — through first-hand stories from New Yorkers in need, key statistics and videos taken at our citywide network of food assistance programs. Women  Children Seniors The Working Poor People with Disabilities
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