ALONG WITH SNAP BENEFITS, ANOTHER ASPECT OF FOOD INSECURITY INVOLVES FOOD PANTRIES WHO PROVIDE ACCESS TO GROCERIES.

THE PANTRIES RELY HEAVILY ON FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO STAY OPEN.

HERE IN THE CAPITAL DISTRICT, ABOUT 69,000 PEOPLE USE FOOD PANTRIES JUST LAST YEAR.

NOW, SEVERAL PANTRIES ARE CALLING ON THE STATE FOR MORE FUNDING.

TO UNPACK THAT, I SPOKE WITH NATASHA PERNICKA, WHO SERVES AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD PANTRIES FOR THE CAPITAL DISTRICT AND THE ALLIANCE FOR A HUNGER-FREE NEW YORK.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY, NATASHA.

>> THANK YOU, IT'S MY PLEASURE.

>> OF COURSE, YOU'VE BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD PANTRIES FOR THE CAPITAL REGION AS WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALLIANCE FOR HUNGER FOR NEW YORK FOR SOME TIME.

SO I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT WHAT TRENDS OR EVEN SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE WAY FOOD INSECURITY IS IMPACTING THE STATE OVER THE LAST DECADE.

>> SURE.

I APPRECIATE THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING ANTI-HUNGER WORK, AND THERE'S BEEN A HUGE SHIFT IN ESPECIALLY THE EMERGENCY FEEDING SYSTEM OR CHARITABLE FEEDING SYSTEM.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED 12 YEARS AGO, WE KIND OF HAD THIS GET WHAT YOU GET MENTALITY.

WE HAD A LOT OF STIGMA ABOUT PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO USE FOOD PANTRY ASSISTANCE, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT WORKING HARD ENOUGH OR PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO MULTIPLE FOOD PANTRIES, AND WE HAVE HAD A HUGE SHIFT IN THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT REALLY, HUNGER IN AMERICA IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE.

IT'S NOT DEFAULT OF CHARACTER OR PEOPLE AREN'T WORKING HARD ENOUGH.

WE SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS AND STILL DON'T HAVE THE INCOME TO AFFORD THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, 12 YEARS AGO, THE FOOD SYSTEM WAS VERY MUCH LIKE, HERE'S YOUR FOOD.

HERE'S WHAT YOU HAVE.

YOU CAN EAT THIS.

AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED, MOST OF THE FOOD PANTRIES DIDN'T CARRY FRESH PRODUCE.

HOWEVER, AT THE FOOD PANTRIES FOR THE CAPITAL DISTRICT, WE DID A CONSUMER SURVEY OF PEOPLE WHO NEEDED ASSISTANCE FROM FOOD PANTRIES AND WE FOUND PEOPLE WANT FRESH PRODUCE.

THEY WANT MEAT.

THEY WANT DAIRY.

THOSE FRESH ITEMS THAT TYPICALLY ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING FOR FOOD PANTRIES TO CARRY BECAUSE FOOD PANTRIES A LOT OF TIMES ARE SMALL AND HAVE LIMITED REFRIGERATION SPACE.

NOW, 12 YEARS LATER, MOST OF THE 70 PANTRIES THAT WE WORK WITH HERE IN THE CAPITAL DISTRICT ARE PROVIDING FRESH PRODUCE.

FOOD PANTRIES ARE ALSO WORKING ON HEALTHIER FOOD AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'VE COME TO THE POINT WHERE NOW IT'S MORE ABOUT RESPECT AND DIGNITY AND MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH FOODS THAT THEY'RE MORE FAMILIAR TO EAT.

WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.

THERE'S A NEED -- THERE'S A NEED FOR A LOT MORE FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THAT DIGNITY ASPECT, BUT THE VALUES ARE THERE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE EVEN GO TO MULTIPLE FOOD PANTRIES TO GET THEIR NEEDS MET BECAUSE THE THEIR RESOURCES, PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING.

>> IN TERMS OF SUPPORT NEEDED, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN THE STATE DO OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING OR HELP TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY IN THE STATE?

>> WE-- WE IN NEW YORK STATE HAVE A STATE THAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO BECOME MORE AWARE OF WHAT THE ACTUAL COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOOD PANTRIES AND FOOD BANKS.

THOSE TERMS HAVE BEEN USED INTERCHANGEABLY AND FOOD BANKS ARE ACTUALLY LIKE THE LARGE WAREHOUSES THAT THE FEDERAL FOODS COME THROUGH.

THE FOOD PANTRIES, YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF AS THE RETAILERS.

THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY NEED FOOD.

THEY GO TO THE FOOD PANTRY AND A MAJORITY OF THE FOOD THAT PANTRIES DISTRIBUTE COME FROM FOOD BANKS, BUT THE OTHER THING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT PANTRIES ACTUALLY PAY FOR MOST OF THE MONEY-- EXCUSE ME, PANTRIES ACTUALLY PAY FOR MOST OF THE FOOD THAT THEY ACQUIRE FROM FOOD BANKS SO WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WHY DO FOOD PANTRIES NEED FUNDING NOT JUST FOOD DRIVES.

JUST HERE IN NEW YORK'S CAPITAL REGION, PANTRIES THAT WORK WITH US SERVE MORE THAN 70,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR.

ENOUGH FOOD IS DISTRIBUTED FOR MORE THAN THREE MILLION MEALS.

SO THAT TAKES DOLLARS WHILE FOOD DRIVES ARE GREAT, THEY HELP SUPPLEMENT THE SUPPLY CHAIN AVAILABLE AT THE FOOD BANK.

WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT DOING THIS WITH FOOD DRIVES ALONE.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING THAT SUPPORT THE FOOD PANTRY SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE FARM BILL AND USDA PROVIDES THE USDA FOOD, WHEN WE THINK OF FOOD PANTRIES MIGHT THINK OF THE GOVERNMENT CHEESE AND CANNED CHICKEN AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THAT FOOD'S AVAILABLE FOR FREE THROUGH THE FOOD BANKING SYSTEM.

BUT THE OTHER FOOD THAT'S NEEDED, WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN NEW YORK STATE THE STATE HAS TWO PROGRAMS.

ONE IS THE HUNGER PREVENTION NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND THE OTHER PROGRAM IS NOURISH NEW YORK THAT WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE COVID CRISIS, WHICH IS THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF AG AND HELPS FOOD PANTRIES AND FOOD BANKS PURCHASE FOOD FROM NEW YORK PRODUCERS, WHICH IS A GREAT WIN-WIN BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE THINGS ARE FRESH PRODUCT AS WELL, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND DAIRY.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE STATE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT NOURISH NEW YORK AND HUNGER PREVENTION NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OR WHAT WE CALL HPNAP, WERE BOTH FLAT FUNDED IN THE BUDGET THIS PAST YEAR.

AND WITH INFLATION, IN PARTICULAR, FOOD INFLATION IS UP 10, 12% BASED ON THE SPECIFIC FOOD PRODUCTS SO WITH THAT FLAT FUNDING, WE'RE ACTUALLY OPERATING AT AN $8 MILLION NET LOSS.

SO YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, WELL, IT WAS FLAT-FUNDED BUT WITH INFLATION, IT'S ACTUALLY A LOSS AND AT THE SAME TIME, FOOD PANTRIES ACROSS THE STATE ARE HAVING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN SERVICE LEVELS.

SO IT'S LIKE THE SNOWBALL EFFECT OF THE FEDERAL SUPPORTS FOR COVID ENDING THE CHILD TAX CREDITS, THE SNAP EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS ENDED.

SO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE ALREADY STRUGGLING, ALL OF A SUDDEN, HAD THESE SAFETY NET PROGRAMS DIMINISHED WHILE INFLATION WAS HAPPENING.

SO NOT ONLY IS INFLATION HAPPENING AT THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, IT'S ALSO IMPACTING FOOD PANTRIES AND THEIR DOLLARS AREN'T GOING AS FAR EITHER.

REALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO APPEAL TO THE STATE RIGHT NOW TO SAY THIS IS A CRISIS.

YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE LONG LINES OF THE MASS DISTRIBUTIONS OF COVID, BUT WE ARE SEEING INCREASES ACROSS THE STATE.

>> I SAW THAT THE COALITION WAS ASKING FOR $43.5 MILLION IN DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FROM THE STATE BUDGET TO HELP SUPPORT FOOD PANTRIES AND ADDRESS COMMUNITY FOOD PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE.

SO CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND SPECIFICALLY YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH ADVOCATES AND STATE LEGISLATORS ON THIS ASK?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, I HAVE TO SAY WHILE THE STATE AGENCIES ARE DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MOVE CLOSER TO ALIGNING THEIR OWN POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT ENDING HUNGER ACROSS NEW YORK, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS JUST NOT TAKEN ACTION AND IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING.

AT THIS TIME, MORE THAN EVER, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR OVER A DECADE.

WE HAVE PANTRY COORDINATORS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR OVER A DECADE SAYING THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS LEVEL OF DEMAND AT FOOD PANTRIES EVER, AND 30% OF THE PANTRIES IN OUR COALITION LOCALLY SAY THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH RESOURCES TO MAKE IT TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE ALLIANCE FOR A HUNGER-FREE NEW YORK HAS BEEN TALKING WITH PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE CHAMBER.

WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO -- TO THE LEGISLATORS TELLING THEM AND SHARING STATISTICS AND SHARING STORIES FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND AS I MENTIONED, THE CURRENT FUNDING THAT THE STATE ALLOCATED THIS YEAR WAS FLAT-FUNDED, WHICH MEANS IT'S ACTUALLY AN $8 MILLION LOSS.

SO PANTRIES ARE DOING MORE WITH LESS.

SO WE ARE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THIS YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT PANTRIES DON'T HAVE TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ASKING FOR UNALLOCATED FUNDS ON BEHALF OF THE MORE THAN TWO MILLION NEW YORKERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH FOOD INSECURITY.

WE THINK THAT FOOD SHOULD BE A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AND NEW YORKERS AGREE.

IN FACT, WHEN WE HAD SIENNA COLLEGE POLL NEW YORK CITIZENS ACROSS THE STATE, 96% OF NEW YORKERS BELIEVE WE SHOULD DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS GOING WITHOUT.

SO WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE GOVERNOR HOCHUL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY BY PROVIDING RESOURCES AT A LOCAL LEVEL TO FOOD PANTRIES, THE ONES WHO ARE ON THE GROUND WHO CAN PROVIDE THE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE-- TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS.

THERE'S A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TYPES OF FOOD THAT PEOPLE EAT, WHETHER IT'S AN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S RURAL, SUBURBAN, ACROSS NEW YORK, WE'RE DEALING WITH ASYLUM SEEKERS.

THE FOOD PANTRIES IN THE COMMUNITIES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF FOOD THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY NEED, AND SO THE POWER, BY PUTTING THE MONEY INTO THE LOCAL HANDS, THEY CAN ADDRESS THE NEEDS IN A MORE DIGNIFIED MANNER.

>> APART FROM FOOD BANKS AND FOOD PANTRIES, I WANTED TO GET YOUR TAKE ON SNAP BENEFITS.

QUEENS ASSEMBLY MEMBER JESSICA GONZALES-ROJAS HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR A BILL THAT WOULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL SNAP PROGRAM.

IT WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STATE SNAP BENEFITS TO EACH HOUSEHOLD AND BASICALLY, INCREASE THE OVERALL SNAP BENEFIT THAT A HOUSEHOLD GETS PER MONTH.

SO I WANTED TO GET YOUR TAKE ON THIS BILL.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH IT?

HOW WOULD IT IMPACT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING ON A DAY TO DAY?

>> YES.

THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY CRITICAL BILL.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENDING HUNGER, NO ONE IS FOR EVERYONE WHO IS WORKING TO HAVE LIVING WAGES.

THAT'S NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO IS STRONG FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND OF THE FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SNAP IS BY FAR ONE OF THE STRONGEST ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMS.

SNAP OR WHAT USED TO BE KNOWN AS FOOD STAMPS PROVIDE PEOPLE RESOURCES TO BUY FOOD IN A DIGNIFIED WAY AT A GROCERY STORE.

THEY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES AND BUY THE FOOD THAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH AND USED TO EATING TO MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLD NEEDS.

AND SINCE THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY SNAP ALLOCATIONS ENDED, WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE TURN TO FOOD PANTRIES WHO NEVER HAD TO BEFORE.

THE OTHER THING THAT I DID WANT TO MENTION ABOUT HUNGER IN NEW YORK STATE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS THERE IS SOME REALLY ASTOUNDING NUMBERS RELEASED IN JULY FROM THE U.S. CENSUS HOUSEHOLD PULSE SURVEY.

WE KNOW THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS DISPARATELY HARMED NEW YORKERS.

WHEN YOU COMPARE JULY FROM 2021 TO 2023 IN THE PULSE SURVEY, WHEN PEOPLE WERE ASKED, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH FOOD FOR A ONE-WEEK PERIOD, 87% OF NEW YORKERS WHO ANSWERED SAID NO, THEY DID NOT.

87% MORE THAN IN 2021 SAID NO.

I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN A ONE-WEEK PERIOD, AND YOU COMPARE THAT TO 35% MORE NATIONWIDE WHO SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD.

SO NEW YORKERS ARE DISPARATELY HARMED MORE THAN PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THAT IS WHERE THE STATE REALLY NEEDS TO STEP UP AND AT THIS POINT, BASED ON THE DATA, THE STATISTICS AND THE STORIES, AT THIS POINT, I VIEW THE STATE AS BEING NEGLECT IN THEIR DUTY TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS COVERED IN NEW YORK.

>> WELL, THERE'S A LOT HERE AND WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CHECK IN ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY IN THE MONTHS AHEAD IN THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY NOW AND DURING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

>> NATASHA PERNICKA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD PANTRIES OF THE CAPITAL REGION AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALLIANCE FOR HUNGER FREE NEW YORK.

[ THEME MUSIC ] >> AS NATASHA UNDERSCORED, FOOD PANTRIES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY ACROSS THE STATE, AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.