December 16, 2024 Ryan Healy
518-801-4638
rhealy@feedingnys.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Advocates & Lawmakers Come Together to Call for a State Budget
That Fights Hunger in New York

Albany, NY – The Second Annual Forum on Hunger and Food Insecurity in New York State brought together advocates, legislators, and New Yorkers with lived experience to discuss anti-hunger priorities for the FY2026 State Budget. Advocates are urging lawmakers to:

-Fully fund statewide universal free school meals;
-Establish a $100 SNAP minimum benefit for all participating New Yorkers;
-Create a state-funded SNAP program for New Yorkers currently excluded from SNAP on the basis of immigration status;
-Sustain full funding for SNAP navigators through the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) to help eligible New Yorkers connect with federally-funded nutrition programs;
-Maintain funding for Double Up Food Bucks NY, which allows SNAP recipients to double their benefits when they purchase fruits and vegetables;
-Provide additional funding for Nourish New York and the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program; and
-Sustain and build on administrative funding for Summer EBT to ensure strong program access, outreach, and customer service.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps more than 2.9 million New Yorkers buy food at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. SNAP also helps families automatically qualify for other nutrition programs, including WIC, free school meals, and Summer EBT. By fully funding NOEP, which helps eligible families apply for SNAP, Governor Hochul and legislative leaders can ensure all eligible New Yorkers access much needed anti-hunger benefits.
“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.”
“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,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “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.”

After monthly pandemic emergency benefits expired in early 2023, New Yorkers relying on SNAP lost $151 per month with some seeing benefits drop to just $23 per month. In response, New Jersey now ensures no SNAP participant receives less than $95 per month. New York must follow the Garden State’s lead and provide a minimum benefit of $100.

“Across our state, every day New Yorkers are asking us to talk less and do more,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas. “In the next budget session, we must address affordability and increasing rates of hunger for millions of 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 some of our most vulnerable 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 the residents of our state.”

“We need urgent action to address the everyday challenges facing New Yorkers,” said Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages. “With the ongoing affordability crisis, we must be bold and tackle food insecurity by bringing SNAP benefits up to reflect the increased cost of food, fully funding universal free school meals, and supporting food security initiatives across the state. These smart investments are a down payment on a brighter future for our children and will give families much-needed security during this time of uncertainty. This upcoming legislative session is the right opportunity to seize this moment and remove the burden of food insecurity from our communities. We will all be stronger because of it.”

Double Up Food Bucks NY allows SNAP shoppers to double their benefits, dollar for dollar (up to $20 per day), when they purchase fruits and vegetables. Over the last decade, New York families have been able to buy almost five million pounds of produce through this program. Advocates urged continued funding for this nutrition incentive program.

“This forum provided the opportunity to highlight all of the amazing intersectional work being done by our coalition to end hunger and fight food insecurity in NYS, said Lisa French, Co-Founder & CEO of Field & Fork Network.” “Double Up Food Bucks NY not only helps families stretch their food budgets to access fresh, healthy produce, but it also supports local farmers and strengthens the economy by keeping dollars circulating within our communities. It’s a win-win-win—families get the nutrition they need, farmers thrive, and local economies flourish.”

In addition to improving benefit amounts, New York has an opportunity to expand access to SNAP by establishing a SNAP4All program through which all income-eligible New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, can receive food assistance. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented residents contribute more than $3 billion per year in state and local taxes. At the same time, they are disproportionately affected by food insecurity while unable to access SNAP due to arbitrary exclusions or five-year waiting periods.

Nourish New York and the Hunger Prevention & Nutrition Assistance Program enabled New York food banks to distribute more than 60 million pounds of food last year. With a slight boost in funding to $75 million for each program, the state’s food banks can keep up with the increase in hungry New Yorkers while also supporting local farmers and producers.

“Food insecurity needs to be treated as an epidemic now more than ever,” said Whitley Hasty, Benefits Navigation Manager at Foodlink. “Visits to pantries and meal programs within Foodlink’s service region increased 35% in 2024 compared to 2023. New York food banks will always rise to the occasion, and their efficiency to help our communities demands the support of supplemental programs for hard working families.”

Hunger is rampant on college campuses,” said Robyn King, Director of Wellness & Support Services at SUNY Schenectady. “Many of our students do their best to get an education while juggling work, family responsibilities, and a challenging economy that prevents their hard-earned wages from covering their living expenses. While our food pantry provides temporary relief to make that gap a tiny bit smaller, we’re struggling to serve the nearly 25% increase in the number of students using the food pantry this semester alone. New York needs to step up and fully fund emergency food justice programs to make sure every New Yorker has the nutrition they need to reach their full potential.”

While the state has taken steps to expand school meal access in recent years, an estimated 280,000 students remain without access to free school meals. Establishing universal free school meals would alleviate food insecurity, eliminate stigma and school meal debt, support children’s mental and physical health, and save families $165 per month per child in food costs—tangible financial relief for struggling New Yorkers.

“Ensuring that every child has equal, unbiased access to healthy school meals should be a top priority of New York State,” said Megan Bates, Vice President of New York School Nutrition Association. “No student should feel stigma for choosing to eat school breakfast or lunch beside their peers. It’s time New York join the other states that have made feeding schoolchildren a priority and fund healthy school meals for all.”

“Good nutrition is essential to good heart and brain health, and the American Heart Association will continue to advocate for policies that mean everyone across New York can get the healthy kind of food they need, regardless of where they live,” said Michael-Aaron Poindexter, chair of the board of directors of the American Heart Association in the Capital Region and chief program officer of the Regional Food Bank. “One in nine adults battle food insecurity, and that number increases when speaking about the most vulnerable of our community, seniors and children. If every child in the state receives a healthy meal at school, and SNAP programs increase the ability for families to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables, we will reduce health disparities across all communities and create a stronger New York.”

“With nearly 3 million New Yorkers struggling to afford food, our state needs to lead the way on tackling the issues of hunger and poverty,” said Dan Egan, Executive Director of Feeding New York State. “It is entirely within our power to guarantee Healthy School Meals for All, raise the SNAP minimum benefit, ensure excluded New Yorkers have access to food assistance, and fully invest in our statewide hunger relief programs. New York State must step up to meet this moment and lead a national conversation on how we end hunger in America.”

“Today’s forum shows the path forward to combat hunger in New York,” said Andrés Vives, Chief Executive Officer of Hunger Solutions New York. “With one in nine households in the state struggling with food insecurity, the time for action is now. The FY2026 budget must expand SNAP access and increase benefit amounts, increase funding for emergency food programs, and establish a truly universal free school meals program. It is my hope that Governor Hochul and legislative leaders hear our call for action and pass a budget that takes on New York’s hunger crisis.”

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