December 5, 2024 Ryan Healy
(518) 801-4638
rhealy@feedingnys.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community-Based Organizations From Across New York State Urge Governor Hochul to Prioritize Hunger Relief in FY2026 Executive Budget

Albany, New York – Over 230 organizations joined a statewide letter calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to include a package of food and nutrition priorities in her upcoming FY2026 Executive Budget proposal. Poverty and food insecurity rates have spiked since the expiration of federal pandemic-era relief measures including the expanded Child Tax Credit, universal free school meals, and supplemental SNAP benefits.

While New York has taken steps to expand free school meals and increase funding for statewide nutrition programs, advocates say more is needed to reduce hunger and poverty in the Empire State. The groups are asking Governor Hochul to include the following provisions in the Executive Budget:
● Statewide universal free school meals;
● $100 SNAP minimum benefit for all participating New Yorkers;
● State-funded SNAP benefits for New Yorkers currently excluded on the basis of immigration status;
● Continued funding for SNAP navigators to help eligible New Yorkers connect with federally-funded nutrition programs; and
● Additional funding for statewide nutrition assistance programs that support operations for food banks, pantries, shelters, and community-based organizations.

“Across our state and nation, every day people are asking us to talk less and do more. In the next legislative session, we must address affordability and increasing rates of hunger among New Yorkers. We can close the gap by fully funding universal school meals, increasing the SNAP minimum benefit, and creating a state version of SNAP for undocumented New Yorkers. These initiatives will save money in the pockets of New Yorkers who have felt more and more squeezed to do more with less. I look forward to working alongside my state legislative colleagues and Governor Hochul to significantly address hunger and better serve our voters,” said Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas.

“SNAP is one of the most effective programs in addressing hunger for working families, but its funding is under attack by a Congress that can’t even pass a farm bill. We must be ready to support New Yorkers who depend on this vital resource to put nourishing food on the table. My bill to establish a minimum monthly SNAP benefit of $100 is a simple and affordable step in the right direction. It would benefit many residents in my district. I am glad to see so many organizations urging Governor Hochul to stand with working families in New York to ensure access to the healthy nutrition necessary for a productive and thriving future,” said Senator Rachel May.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Food insecurity is a crisis we can solve, and a key step is delivering real investment for statewide nutrition programs that support our schools and communities. No child should face hunger at school, and no New Yorker should have to choose between feeding their family and covering housing or utilities. As an agriculture state producing some of the world’s best, most nutritious food, New York has every reason—and no excuse—to build a more equitable food system that benefits both families and farm businesses. We’ll continue leading the charge in this fight and thank our coalition partners for standing with us.”

“Food insecurity continues to be on the rise in New York State; the need for strong investments in anti-hunger programs is certainly not subsiding”, said Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, Chair of the Social Services Committee. “Each year I champion Senate investments in the Nutrition Outreach & Education Program (NOEP), which helps New Yorkers apply for SNAP benefits. It is critical that we continue to fund other anti-hunger programs including the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), which helps keep food pantries stocked and operational and Nourish New York, which has successfully connected Upstate agricultural products to communities in need.”

“Established food programs uplift the most vulnerable members of our community by providing healthier options while strengthening our local farms and businesses. Expanding universal school meals, increasing SNAP benefits, and increasing funding for established initiatives like Nourish New York, HPNAP, NOEP, and Double Up Food Bucks are essential steps towards combating food insecurity and building healthier communities. Together, we can create a New York where access to healthy, affordable food is a right, not a privilege. I remain committed to supporting and expanding these vital programs to eliminate food insecurity and promote healthier, more resilient communities across New York State.” – Assembly Member Demond Meeks

“It is time for New York to lead the way on eradicating hunger and affirming healthy food as a basic human right,” said Dan Egan, Executive Director of Feeding New York State. “For the cost of a rounding error in our state’s budget, we can guarantee Healthy School Meals for All New York kids, raise the SNAP minimum benefit, extend monthly SNAP benefits to excluded New Yorkers, and fully invest in our statewide nutrition programs. Taken together, these initiatives would have a meaningful impact for New York families struggling to make ends meet.”

“New York is facing a hunger and affordability crisis,” said Andrés Vives, Chief Executive Officer of Hunger Solutions New York. “USDA’s most recent food insecurity report showed 12% of New York households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2023 – a full percentage point higher than the previous year. This is a solvable problem. Implementing universal free school meals, fully funding SNAP navigators, providing supplemental SNAP benefits, and supporting emergency food providers are all critical pieces of the solution. With

these investments, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature can turn the FY2026 budget into one that declares, ‘Hunger is unacceptable in our state’.”

Universal school meals is the most far-reaching, effective way to combat childhood hunger and ensure New York’s children have the nourishment they need to learn and thrive.” said Liz Accles, Executive Director of Community Food Advocates. “Governor Hochul can make good on her promise to make New York more affordable by saving families $165 per child per month in food costs when students receive breakfast and lunch at school. Across the state there are 280,000 students who remain without access to free school, while their families struggle to make ends meet.”

“Supporting anti-hunger programs like Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks NY (Double Up) is crucial in ensuring that every New Yorker has access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Lisa French, Co-Founder and CEO of Field & Fork Network. “Double Up not only helps families purchase more fresh produce but also supports New York farmers and provides a boost to local economies. By affording individuals the ability to double their purchasing power, we are taking meaningful steps toward combating hunger and building a healthier, more equitable New York State.”

“In a state where more than 2 million people live in food insecure homes, including nearly 650,000 children, the most cost-efficient way to reduce hunger is to fund more
community-based outreach to increase participation in federally funded nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC,” said Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg. “Increasing SNAP and WIC participation in the State will slash hunger, create jobs at food retailers and markets, boost income for New York State farmers and food manufacturers, and increase State and local sales tax revenues. It is imperative that the Governor and the State Legislature adequately fund proven anti-hunger programs to ensure that no one in New York State goes to bed hungry.”

“All New Yorkers deserve to live with dignity. But across our state, individuals and families are struggling to be economically secure, often unable to afford even their most basic needs like food. Such widespread deprivation is unconscionable. In a State as wealthy as New York, no one should ever go to bed hungry! That’s why we join advocates in calling on Governor Hochul to prioritize investments like increasing the minimum SNAP benefit and expanding access to SNAP for New Yorkers currently excluded on the basis of immigration status, in addition to other investments to improve food access and nutrition.” – Joseph Jones, Director of Policy,
Advocacy, & Research at FPWA

“Community need for food is surging, with nearly half of New Yorkers struggling to afford even basic necessities,” says Leslie Gordon, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City and Chair of the Board of Directors of Feeding New York State. “New Yorkers deserve a state budget that expands funding for food assistance and safety net programs, guarantees universal school meals, and increases minimum benefits for those relying on these lifelines. A budget reflects our values, and we urge the Governor to prioritize struggling New Yorkers in the executive budget so that they can get on the path to achieving food security for good.”

“The upward trajectory of New Yorkers relying on food assistance demands an urgent response from the state,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “It is clear that the

anti-poverty measures that were enacted then abandoned after the COVID crisis directly correlate to a sharp rise in food insecurity. Our network of food pantries and meal programs is seeing a 50% surge in client visits this year alone. We are hopeful that the executive budget will account for this staggering increase through a variety of policies proven to lift people out of poverty and put healthy food on the table for our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet.”

“Food security is a policy choice that our State has the power to invest in,” said Jilly Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of City Harvest. “City Harvest’s partner soup kitchens and food pantries are seeing one million more visits each month than before the pandemic. Recent research from Robin Hood and Columbia University, reveals that most of those food pantry visitors are working New Yorkers whose wages simply cannot keep up with the high cost of living in New York City. With the upcoming State budget, our governor has the ability to drastically reduce food insecurity for millions of New York by strengthening SNAP and investing in food banks and pantries. We stand with food pantry leaders and a large network of advocates across our state calling for the government to invest in a food secure future for all New Yorkers.”

Lazaro Alvarez, a member of Alianza Agricola said, “Migrant children are deprived of a dignified life because they are the sons and daughters of undocumented essential agricultural workers and, therefore, do not receive the same benefits as other children living in New York State. Despite this, these parents contribute to putting basic food on the tables of all New Yorkers. It is time to acknowledge that hunger should not discriminate because when our families thrive, we all thrive. The SNAP program must be comprehensive and should not discriminate against the children of essential agricultural workers simply because of their immigration status. And so, we urge Governor Kathy Hochul to support SNAP4ALL. Si se puede!”

“Across New York, families are facing impossible choices between paying for food, housing, medicine, and other basic needs. In Onondaga County, we see firsthand how these struggles impact our children’s ability to thrive and our community’s overall health,” said Maura Ackerman, Executive Director of the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA). “Programs like universal school meals and SNAP are not just safety nets—they are lifelines that provide stability and hope. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP reduces household hunger by up to 30%, with an even greater impact on children, making it one of the most effective anti-poverty tools available. SOFSA urges Governor Hochul to prioritize protecting and expanding SNAP and other critical food security programs to ensure all New Yorkers can access the food they need to thrive.”

“Food Insecurity is the root of many health problems among seniors in New York state. Studies show that senior citizens who have less access to nutritious food suffer from more chronic conditions including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, heart and gum disease and asthma. Furthermore, food insecurity is more prevalent among the Black, Hispanic and Native American elderly population. We urge Governor Hochul to support older New Yorkers as they become 20 percent of the entire state’s population, to ensure that they are healthy and able to make ends meet by including these food security initiatives in the Executive Budget,” said Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of NY StateWide Senior Action Council.

“Expanding access to food and nutrition programs is a moral and economic imperative for New York State,” said Leah Kabran Eden, Executive Director of Equity Advocates. “Communities

of color, particularly Black and immigrant families, face disproportionate barriers to food security due to systemic inequities. State-funded SNAP benefits for immigrant New Yorkers and a $100 minimum SNAP benefit are practical, effective solutions to combat food insecurity, reduce poverty, and strengthen local economies. Equity Advocates urges Governor Hochul to expand essential food security programs to address racial disparities in hunger and poverty and ensure that all New Yorkers can thrive.”

“Food pantries are at the front lines of the hunger crisis across New York State,” said Natasha Pernicka, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Hunger Free New York. “Pantries are reporting 20-100% increases in service levels as more and more people are turning to food pantries to fill gaps in resources. With food inflation increasing 25% since 2019, food pantries need a significant increase in funding to keep up with inflation and increases in need. Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program and Nourish New York are two important programs that have the ability to not only provide more food and operational support to pantries, but greatly increase the nutrition and quality of food through fresh New York State grown, a win-win for all involved. The Alliance for a Hunger Free NY urges Governor Hochul to support the front lines of the hunger crisis.”
“As nutrition professionals, Registered Dietitians urge Governor Hochul to support a healthier, more equitable New York State by addressing hunger through the Executive Budget. On the frontlines, RDs recognize the value of anti-hunger and nutrition security programs to provide a baseline quality of life for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Critical public health nutrition programs such as SNAP, universal school meals, and Double-Up Food Bucks improve nutritional status, prevent chronic disease, and reduce hospitalizations for the most underrepresented communities – who are already disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes. NYSAND urges Governor Hochul to protect and expand these critical public health nutrition programs to ensure all New Yorkers have the nutrition needed to thrive.” – Public Policy Panel at the New York State Association of Nutrition and Dietetics

Each of these initiatives have precedent in states across the nation. Following the end of child nutrition waivers in 2022, eight states have implemented universal school meals programs. New Jersey passed legislation to guarantee a $95 minimum SNAP benefit in preparation for the end of SNAP Emergency Allotments (EAs). California plans to implement a nutrition assistance program to support undocumented residents over the age of 55. Advocates argue that New York State should be among these states leading the way on food and nutrition policy.