Calls on NYC Congressional Delegation to put people facing hunger in New York City first
The following statement is attributable to Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City, in response to the proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in the House Agriculture Committee version of the 2018 Farm Bill:
“This Farm Bill shows compassion for no one. It cuts food assistance from working families and jobless individuals alike, from older adults as well as children. Slashing funding for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) will only deepen the hunger crisis and increase hardship in our city.
“Here are the facts: SNAP is a vital lifeline for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, including 1.6 million of our fellow New Yorkers who rely on SNAP for the food they and their families need. This bill puts this lifeline at risk and would have devastating consequences for individuals and families in need.
“What’s more, cutting SNAP will have a punishing impact on local economies across the country. In New York City , SNAP enables approximately $3 billion in food purchases at supermarkets, grocery stores, farmers markets and other local retailers – $1 billion in Brooklyn alone. SNAP spending supports the businesses and jobs that provide food access for everyone.
“Ending hunger is a shared responsibility that charity cannot shoulder alone. SNAP provides more meals in New York City in two months than the entire network of food pantries and soup kitchens does in a year. The measures in this Farm Bill would only increase our city’s Meal Gap and would place an unbearable strain on families, food pantries and soup kitchens already struggling with food shortages.
“On behalf of the 1.5 million New Yorkers and the network of 1,000 community-based charities and schools served by Food Bank For New York City, we urge our representatives in Congress to vigorously oppose this bill and any other measure taking food off the tables of the most vulnerable New Yorkers.”