A new report from the Food Bank of NYC found a dramatic increase in vistors to
the city food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food distribution centers even
had to turn hungry people away!!!
The report draws a link between more New Yorkers turing to its network of
soup kitchens and food pantries and Congress' Nov 1 decision to cut $5 billion
from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). For the first
time, benefits for every recipient were cut.
Approximately 31% of food providers reported an increase in demand of 26-50%
after the SNAP cut (formerly known as food stamps.) About 26% of the providers
had to turn people away.
Nearly 1 in 3 New Yorkers (2.6 million) struggles to afford food and about 1.9 million
New Yorkers rely on SNAP.
Congress, as part of the misleadingly titled Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,
agreed to a six-cent per meal increase in reimbursements to schools with lunch
programs in exchange for the SNAP cut.
Before the reduction to SNAP (about $29/month for a family of three) household
benefits in NYC averaged $281/moneh.
Rather than coming up with a longterm solution to help those in need. Congress is
apparently itching to make the situation worse. The farm bill is up for reauthorization.
Rather then using the opportunity to strenghten SNAP, a bipartisan congressional
committeeis considering slashing another $9 billion from SNAP.
Mayor Bill de Blasio proved himself persuasive in NYC's diverse neighborhoods on
the issue of poverty. To avert the disatrous additional SNAP cuts, he must quickly
become just as convincing in Washington.
Pleading for NYC alone won't work but Mayor de Blasio and all big-city mayors
can jointly demonstrate that SNAP cuts hust their constituents. They must make
the case against the devastating impact further cuts would have nationwide.
Many Washington politicans may not car if folks in Brownsville or East New York
don't have enought to eat. But Mayor de Blasio should and he must make his fellow
politicans car.
Sheila McKinney
