Hunger remains a big problem in New York City

New York philanthropic leaders have joined a nationwide call to protect the independence of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. “No one is above the law, including the president, his family, and others who serve in his administration. The special counsel’s investigation must be allowed to continue unimpeded," reads the online petition. Signatories include Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, New York Foundation Executive Director Maria Mottola, and Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard.

The Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services has received a $1.8 million contract from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. This money will fund mentoring and advocacy programs, according to the City Record.

ACS Commissioner David Hansell had something to say on Nov. 16. He was a featured speaker at an event sponsored by New York Law School, which hosts regular events featuring city leaders. The topic at hand was “Protecting Children, Supporting Families.” See Hansell’s speech and responses to audience questions here.  

A new report from the Food Bank for New York City outlines how food security continues to affect people across the city. This conclusion was based on interviews with 735 people who work in soup kitchens and food pantries across the city. Here are a few takeaways, taken more or less verbatim from a Nov. 19 press release.

• Nearly 80 percent of food pantries and soup kitchens across NYC have seen elevated traffic over the last five years, since funding for SNAP was cut.
• More than half of soup kitchens and pantries reported running out of food and 29 percent reported turning people away because of lack of food.
• Of those, nearly 40 percent of food pantries and soup kitchens reported the number of visitors increased by more than half.
• Meanwhile the average cost of a meal is increasing – up 27 percent across all boroughs and 46 percent in Manhattan alone.
• Nearly half of all soup kitchens and food pantries have an operating budget of under $25,000 a year and more than half operate with non-paid staff.

“This snapshot describes what we’re seeing right now on the front lines and comes directly from the men and women most intimately involved in ending hunger across the five boroughs,” Food Bank for New York City President Margarette Purvis said in the press release. “The majority of soup kitchens and pantries are forced to punch above their weight class, serving in most cases at least two boroughs outside of their own. It is the greatest indicator of growing need in our city and a requirement for families to try harder to make ends meet.”

Read the full report below.