TESTIMONY
Greg Silverman, CEO, West Side Campaign Against Hunger on Enhancing Emergency Food Services and Addressing New York City's Hunger Challenge
4:34:31
·
145 sec
Greg Silverman discusses the critical role of The West Side Campaign Against Hunger in combating citywide hunger, focusing on the distribution of fresh produce and advocating for increased funding for emergency food services.
- The organization feeds approximately 80,000 New Yorkers, distributing over 2.2 million pounds of fresh produce annually.
- Partnerships with major emergency food providers help maintain quality and affordability across the network.
- A study with Columbia University links improved food security to increased fresh vegetable and fruit consumption, suggesting potential reductions in diet-related chronic diseases.
- Silverman highlights an urgent need for at least $60 million in funding for the Community Food Connections program to adequately address rising demand.
- He calls for no budget cuts to school food programs and increased support for Human Resources Administration staff to enhance service quality for those in need.
Greg Silverman
4:34:31
Thank you to the general welfare committee and chair Ayala.
4:34:35
For holding the budget hearing and the opportunity to submit testimony.
4:34:39
My name is Greg Silverman.
4:34:40
I'm the CEO of the West Side Campaign at Tanger.
4:34:43
Been working in New York City for 45 years.
4:34:45
Our organization now we feed about 80,000 New Yorkers in need, over £2,200,000 of fresh produce, which is 50 percent of what we give out because we know that healthy food is important to our customers and our community.
4:34:57
We're focused not just on a choice of apples or bananas, but on the location of service, delivery models, and the time spent securing food.
4:35:04
And this choice isn't just an economic win.
4:35:06
For everyone, it's a health win.
4:35:08
We did a recent study with Columbia University, and the findings are showing an improvement in food security is linked to increased frequency of fresh vegetables and fruit consumption.
4:35:17
Supports the idea that food security outcomes in future interventions to reduce diet related chronic diseases, investing directly in nutritious food, foreign with direct service providers can lead to improve well-being for New Yorkers in need.
4:35:31
We work as a network as well as part of the roundtable with 7 of the other largest emergency food providers in the cities such as New York Common Pantry, Met Council, POTS.
4:35:43
Project hospitalities and others.
4:35:45
And we all track pricing to push for better product across the network, and it's really important.
4:35:50
But We collaborate well.
4:35:52
We do great research.
4:35:53
We're feeding people.
4:35:53
But, you know, the truth of the matter is we're all struggling.
4:35:56
And with west side campaigning as hunger alone.
4:35:59
This summer, we served 42% more people than we did the previous year, which was nearly double what we served before the pandemic.
4:36:07
The numbers are not going in a positive direction.
4:36:09
You've heard earlier today, you know, the CFC program community food connections is an essential program any thoughts that it'll be cut or adapted based on trusting words like the commitment of the from the city or adequate levels Like, we know that the 50 odd,000,000 that we have right now is still not enough.
4:36:29
We need at least 60,000,000 to keep it where it should be.
4:36:33
Further, we wanna make sure there's no cuts to school food, the $60,000,000 cuts.
4:36:37
Those have been huge wins.
4:36:38
And thirdly, just HRA, as you've heard, We want to see more support to HRA staff members because truth of the matter is just clearing up the backlog is not nearly enough.
4:36:48
The truth is we we should be best practice at this.
4:36:50
And that's because our customers deserve it.
4:36:52
So we have to get more staff to provide more supports to customers we need.
4:36:55
Thank you.
