CONTACT:
Dan Egan
Executive Director
518 258 8914
MEDIA ADVISORY
ALBANY, NEW YORK: November 26, 2021
NEW YORK STATE FOOD BANKS HOST HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JIM McGOVERN FOR A VISIT FOCUSED ON LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO ENDING HUNGER
WHAT: New York State food banks and hunger advocacy organizations welcome Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Co-Chair of House Hunger Caucus, to New York City for a roundtable discussion focused on ending hunger in America. This visit is part of a series of Rules Committee events highlighting the reality of food insecurity in America and examining the steps that Congress and the Biden administration could take to equitably combat it. Representative McGovern has called for a substantive, policy-focused White House hunger conference to create the roadmap to end hunger by 2030, for which the United Nations has also called. During Monday’s visit, McGovern will meet with experts from New York State to discuss innovative work being done in the region to address hunger and how those solutions could be adapted and scaled for use in other parts of the country.
WHEN: Monday, November 29, 2021, from 10:00 – 11:15 AM
WHERE: Metropolitan Council Volunteer Center
171 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York
WHO: David G. Greenfield, Chief Executive Officer, Met Council
Paule T. Pachter, CEO of Long Island Cares, Inc.
Molly Nicol, Chief Executive Officer, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY
Karen Erren, President and CEO, Feeding Westchester
Dr. Jessica Rosati, Chief Programs Officer, Long Island Cares
Michael Haynes, Chief Government Affairs Officer, LIC
Dan Egan, Executive Director, Feeding New York State
Jenique Jones, Vice President of Program Operations & Policy, City Harvest
Noreen Springstead, Executive Director, WHY Hunger
Dr. Melony Samuels, Executive Dir., Campaign Against Hunger NYC
WHY: Food insecurity has been a major issue in the United States for decades. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in food insecurity have reached double-digits with food banks leading the nation-wide response. In New York State, more than $85 million in additional state funding has been provided to the state’s 10 food banks to respond to the increase in need by purchasing additional fresh produce, dairy products, and lean protein through the Nourish NY initiative. Food bank leaders and experts in the field of hunger advocacy will meet with Representative McGovern to discuss progress and concerns related to NY State’s emergency food system, to address root cause issues, and to announce their endorsement of McGovern’s proposal for a White House hunger conference.
