The pandemic forced the city to create a whole new food-distribution system. While there have been bumps, experts say the effort has been a success,
Queues of Latino residents waited recently outside a community center in Corona to collect food and fruit. The line extended for two blocks.
Several dozen programs have closed for lack of volunteers even as demand soars and social distancing rules demand more personpower.
A leading anti-hunger advocate also joined Max & Murphy to talk about how SNAP benefits and food pantries can be reinforced to address COVID’s economic fallout.
‘Unless government takes immediate, bold action, food-insecure Americans will be hit even harder, and their troubles will likely extend long beyond the life of the epidemic.’
The city’s food bank workers say immigrant families are increasingly afraid of visiting their locations in person. “They believe that ICE could be around the corner, and many families have told us that they cannot afford to put themselves at risk standing in line,” one source told El Diario.
‘Hunger is linked to a host of downstream negative physical, emotional, and social effects. Knowing this, how does America allow one in seven of our children to struggle with hunger?’
The new research illustrates the complexity of serving New York’s seniors as that population swells: While there are certainly common concerns, different populations within aging New York have vastly different needs.
‘If these higher benefits were eaten up immediately, it’s not like low-income people are spending it on caviar or something. They are struggling just to survive.’
But the number of SNAP participants in the city keeps falling. That could reflect good news about the economy, the impact of federal benefit cuts or the persistence at the city level of obstacles to families getting the help they need.
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