Fighting Child Hunger in New York
A Growing Concern
I’ve been fighting child hunger in New York for over a decade. And I’m worried about what 2025 will bring. Last year, four in five New Yorkers reported having a harder time affording groceries, according to our annual hunger poll. I wish we could say help was on the way. But quite the contrary.
Proposed Cuts
Proposals in Congress and public comments from the incoming administration give us every reason to fear that federal leaders will target programs that fight hunger for cuts. While I sincerely hope that bipartisan support for feeding kids perseveres, no one can predict what may come our way.
Preparing for the Future
What I do know is that New York needs to start preparing now to protect New Yorkers from whatever may come from Washington. As I write, New York City’s mayor, our governor, and our legislatures are drawing up budgets and policy priorities for 2025. We need them to put in place real tools we can use to make sure no child goes without three healthy meals a day.
Unifying New Yorkers
We have our marching orders. One of the only issues that unites every kind of New Yorker is making sure kids have enough to eat. In that same annual poll, 93 percent told us ending child hunger should be a bipartisan priority. Upstate, downstate, Democrat, Republican—New Yorkers want their government to do everything it can to fight child hunger.
Solutions that Work
While that may seem a lofty ambition, it’s an attainable one. We just have to focus on solutions that are proven to work. When I look at the landscape of what’s currently in place and the uncertainty ahead of us, one critical resource stands above all others: our public schools.
Transforming Schools
In 2025, our goal is to transform every school into a community nutrition hub that provides free meals and connects families to food assistance programs. We can use schools to deliver and expand the most critical nutrition programs.
Making No-Cost School Meals Universal
That starts with making no-cost school lunch and breakfast universal for every child, in every grade, and in every school across New York State. Over the last two years, Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded access to no-cost school meals to cover more than 86 percent of children in New York public schools. That’s a massive accomplishment. By taking the final step and expanding access to all students, New York would ensure regular access to at least two meals a day for more than 2 million children.
School Pantries and Food Assistance
But we can’t stop there. We’ve seen how effective schools and local community groups can be when they work together to provide families with essentials, they may not otherwise be able to afford. Over the last few years, the prevalence and need for school-based food and hygiene pantries has grown. With budget support from New York State, we could bring urgently needed school pantries to all the highest-need parts of the state.
Conclusion
We can’t ever resign ourselves to more kids facing hunger, or more families going without the help they need. We have the power here in New York to intervene. But we have to take action now. I’m urging the governor, mayor, and the city and state Legislatures to act before it’s too late.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the current state of child hunger in New York?
A: According to our annual hunger poll, four in five New Yorkers reported having a harder time affording groceries last year.
Q: What are the proposed cuts to programs that fight hunger?
A: Proposals in Congress and public comments from the incoming administration give us every reason to fear that federal leaders will target programs that fight hunger for cuts.
Q: How can we protect New Yorkers from these proposed cuts?
A: We need the governor, mayor, and our legislatures to put in place real tools we can use to make sure no child goes without three healthy meals a day.
Q: What can schools do to help fight child hunger?
A: Schools can provide free meals and connect families to food assistance programs, and can also be used to deliver and expand critical nutrition programs.
