Food Banks Tighten Their Belts as Federal Cuts Keep Coming. Patrons Don’t Know Where Else to Turn.
This article originally appeared on The City.
NEW YORK, April 9, 2025 —New York City’s emergency food network is bracing for major disruptions after the federal government paused 2.5 million pounds of food deliveries previously scheduled for May and June. The cuts come as the USDA reviews funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides 65% of Food Bank For New York City’s inventory.
“I’ve been doing this work for almost 20 years now, and I never thought I would see the need as high as it is now,” said Food Bank For NYC President and CEO Leslie Gordon. “If [federal support] were to go away, we couldn’t fill the hole by ourselves. It’s just too big.”
On top of the halted shipments, the USDA is ending a separate program that connected local farmers with food distributors. The loss of both sources leaves food banks scrambling to meet surging demand—especially in boroughs like The Bronx, where one in three children experience food insecurity.
Advocates are calling on Governor Hochul to include $75 million for statewide hunger relief in the overdue state budget. Meanwhile, food providers rallied at City Hall last week urging Mayor Adams to reverse proposed cuts to the city’s Community Food Connection program, which could drop from $60 million to $21 million next year.
Mark Grant, a Food Bank For NYC Community Kitchen and Pantry guest who lost his job selling cars, emphasized the urgency: “If this place didn’t exist, we’d be protesting. And [Chef] Sheri would be protesting with us.”