“Many food management companies and producers of color are small to mid-sized, and we have benefited from the added flexibility in the way schools negotiate. The waivers have allowed us to retain staff and pay an honest living wage and continue buying fresh produce while serving scratch-made meals to a larger student body.”
‘We implore the new administration to seriously consider the Human Services Council #JustPay campaign, and ensure that all New York City contracted employees, who on a daily basis perform critical lifesaving work, make a living wage.’
Adi TalwarA late October afternoon bingo game in progress at the PSS King Towers Senior Center in Harlem. Our new mayor, administration, and city council have taken office at a challenging time for New York City—but especially for our city’s seniors. The latest wave of COVID-19 has continued to affect older New Yorkers at a disproportionate rate, causing hospitalization and death in worst cases, and leading to continued social isolation for many others. When our new elected representatives talk about COVID recovery, it’s imperative that they prioritize the needs of older New Yorkers. At Encore Community Services, we see these needs up close and work daily to keep seniors healthy, safe, and connected to community.
The pandemic worsened the hunger crisis for many New Yorkers, though more severe impacts were staved off by COVID relief programs. But need is expected to rise again, as government benefits expire, and the state’s eviction moratorium ends in January.
Meet activists from across the five boroughs, from oyster keepers in The Bronx to environmental justice advocates in Brooklyn, interviewed by student reporters enrolled in the City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth.
‘We know how to reduce food waste, we just need to find the will to do it.’
Researchers said their findings counter a narrative that stimulus payments and unemployment benefits were “too generous” and disincentivized work.
The mutual aid movement continues, but groups are increasingly seeking new ways to ensure their long-term sustainability.
‘College campus food pantries have short hours of operation, lack physical space, and regularly run out of food. Already strained, many have been stretched to a breaking point under the current explosion of student hunger.’
‘Crossing this milestone is bittersweet – a mark of what the government and civic sector can accomplish…but also a sad reminder that too many people were hungry before this crisis exacerbated the situation, and too many are still hungry today.’
‘I know hunger is not new. But over the last six months in the New York City metro area it has become worse and there are easy ways that those of us with more than we need can move from awareness to action.’
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