Albany, NY – April 9, 2022 – Feeding New York State, the state association of New York’s 10 Feeding America member food banks, applauds the Governor and state lawmakers for investing an additional $22 million in New York’s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP). This marks the first HPNAP increase in over 5 years. We also appreciate the state’s continued investment in the Nourish New York initiative, which connects New York’s farmers with food banks and emergency food providers.
On behalf of our members, partner organizations, and the communities we serve, we thank Governor Hochul and state legislators for prioritizing hunger relief in this year’s budget.
Recent increases in child poverty and the rising cost of food and fuel has resulted in continued very high demand for emergency food. At the same time, these rising food and fuel costs have made it more challenging for food banks to distribute food to communities in need. That is why today’s announcement comes as welcome news for anti-hunger organizations across our state – many of whom rely on HPNAP to support their communities in need.
HPNAP is a lifeline for the nearly 3 million New Yorkers facing food insecurity every day. The program directly supports food banks, food pantries, and emergency food providers in the processing, storage, and distribution of food to hungry families. While economic uncertainty remains for working families across our state, this investment will help emergency food providers fight hunger by delivering more food to more people.
The Nourish New York initiative, which launched in April 2020, has distributed over 35 million pounds of fresh, nutritious produce from over 4,100 farms to hungry New Yorkers. Supporting local farmers and communities in need through the same initiative is a sensible, efficient public policy. We thank state lawmakers for their work to invest in and improve Nourish New York.
“We applaud the Governor and Legislature for supporting hunger relief efforts in this budget. At a time when the economic dislocation caused by the pandemic is still with us, and with food and fuel prices rising fast, the people of New York need this support. The investment of $50 million in Nourish New York will enable the Feeding NYS food banks to continue supporting New York farmers while providing millions of pounds of food to our neighbors. The increased investment of $22M in the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program will give us the tools we need to distribute this food. For the charitable food network, this is a good budget,” said Dan Egan, Executive Director of Feeding New York State.
“With inflation rates the highest they have been in nearly 40 years, and more and more New Yorkers looking for support after the devastating consequences of COVID-19, Food Bank For New York City applauds Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for including funding in the 2023 New York State budget that will help address food insecurity for millions of residents across the state,” said Leslie Gordon, President and CEO of Food Back For New York City. “Our State is an invaluable partner in our work to fight hunger, and supports critical funding for programs that have allowed us to meet the needs for millions of New Yorkers. We thank our leaders in Albany for increased investments in these initiatives to support the work organizations like Food Bank For New York City are doing to feed New Yorkers.”
We again express our gratitude to Governor Hochul and leaders in the state legislature for including an additional $22 million for HPNAP and for a continued investment of $50 million for Nourish New York in the final FY 2023 budget. Today’s investment in hunger relief would not have been possible without the leadership of our champions in the state legislature, as well as the thousands of anti-hunger advocates who made their voices heard.
Looking ahead, our work to build a hunger-free New York State continues.
