In her State of the City address, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called for $14 million in additional funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
By Margarette Purvis, Food Bank For New York City President & CEO
Food Bank For New York City and our network of 1,000 charities across the five boroughs applaud Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the entire City Council for their commitment towards ending hunger. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) is a vital resource for the 1.4 million New Yorkers who rely on our city’s network of food pantries and soup kitchens to put food on the table.
By calling for an additional $14 million in baseline food dollars for EFAP, the Speaker recognizes that pervasive food shortages at food pantries and soup kitchens are unacceptable. The agenda laid out today includes bold and critical steps toward leveling the nutritional playing field for all New Yorkers and to ensure that hunger does not hold anyone back from realizing their full potential.