New York City to give $25 million for emergency food relief

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson pledged on Friday afternoon to commit $25 million to emergency food providers that continue to face unprecedented demand from the COVID-19 crisis, Politico New York reports.  

Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other food distribution networks with limited resources have been calling for financial relief as they face scores of hungry New Yorkers. The Food Bank for New York City reported that 40% of the organizations it supplies with food have suspended operations because of the coronavirus. City Harvest similarly said that 82 of the food programs it delivers to have shut down, in part because of lack of staffing. 

The city’s funding will cover operational expenses such as increased food costs, extra staff, safety supplies, and other needs. A team led by Commissioner Kathryn Garcia will collaborate with the city’s social services agency to offer outreach to eligible organizations to let them know how to access the new emergency funds. 

Friday’s announcement comes after Politico recently reported that since the city shuttered senior centers and began providing home-delivered meals, many older New Yorkers have been missing their meals. 

De Blasio said on Friday that he wasn’t aware older adults hadn’t been receiving meals and pledged to address the problem.