Media Contact:
Food Bank Media Relations
212.566.7855
Statement by Margarette Purvis, President & CEO, Food Bank For New York City
Put plainly, the White House’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal is one that would increase hunger and hardship in states, cities and communities across the country. More than 42 million people – including nearly 1.7 million here in New York City – rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) and will be hurt by the proposed $193 billion in cuts to the program over 10 years. At the same time, this budget proposes a cut to funding for emergency food by $27 million from current-year spending. Taken together, these proposed cuts threaten the survival resources of millions of individuals and families who struggle to afford food.
Soup kitchens, food pantries and food banks, already strapped for resources, will never be able to replace the vital services and support the proposed cuts will take away from our most vulnerable neighbors. In a typical month, half of food pantries and soup kitchens in New York City run out of sufficient food; by contrast, SNAP provides more meals to our city in ten weeks than the entire network of soup kitchens and pantries provide in an entire year. The proposed budget will devastate the safety net while also negatively impacting jobs and the economic benefits SNAP provides to every American community.
Food Bank For New York City pledges to continue to work with our partners and representatives to protect and strengthen our nation’s safety net against hunger, and to urge our friends and supporters to demand a reversal of these cuts.
###
About Food Bank For New York City:
Food Bank For New York City has been the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 62.5 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City’s income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $150 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank’s nutrition education programs and services empower more than 50,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org. Follow us on Facebook (FoodBank4NYC), Twitter (@FoodBank4NYC) and Instagram (FoodBank4NYC).