TESTIMONY
Kim Moscaritolo, Director of Communications and Advocacy, Hunger Free America on Addressing Hunger and Food Insecurity in NYC
4:40:45
·
147 sec
Kim Moscaritolo presents a testimony on the severity of hunger and food insecurity in New York City and outlines solutions.
- Highlights a crisis of hunger and food insecurity affecting 1.28 million NYC residents.
- Advocates for increasing participation in federally funded programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), school breakfast, and summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer).
- Presents USDA data indicating one in five children in NYC experiences food insecurity, with numbers even higher in the Bronx.
- Stresses the importance of the SNAP program as the most effective way to combat hunger in the city.
- Recommends increasing funding for nonprofit groups, creating a "My City" portal for benefits, ending subminimum wages for tip food service workers, funding a SNAP-like program for ineligible immigrants, ensuring school breakfast availability, and launching an outreach campaign for summer EBT participation.
Kim Moscaritolo
4:40:45
Thank you so much to chair Ayala for having this hearing.
4:40:49
My name is Kim Oskar Tolo.
4:40:50
I'm the director of communications and advocacy for hunger free America.
4:40:55
And I am grateful to be here to submit this testimony on behalf of the S abated 1,280,000 city residents who now struggle against hunger.
4:41:04
Our message is very simple.
4:41:05
New Yorkers are facing MASSIVE HUNGER AND FOOD AND SECURITY CRISIS CITY WIDE AND WE NEED A MASSIVE RESPONSE FROM THE CITY, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT focuses on increasing participation in the federally funded snap, wick school breakfast, and summer EBT programs.
4:41:22
According to the most recent USDA data, 1 out of every 5 children in New York City experiences food insecurity, while more than 1 quarter of children in the Bronx are food insecure.
4:41:34
Food insecurity among employed adults increased in nearly every borough compared to 3 years ago.
4:41:41
By far the most impactful and cost effective way for the city to fight hunger, is to increase participation in the SNAP program formerly known as food stamps.
4:41:51
Doing so would dwarf any other effort if current caseloads and benefits levels stay the same.
4:41:57
Federal SNAP spending in New York City over the next year would be 4.9 $1,000,000,000, which dwarfs city and private spending on charitable food.
4:42:06
So in our submitted testimony, we offer lots of facts and figures about hunger in New York City.
4:42:12
But to close out, I wanna focus on our recommendations for how the city can best fight hunger.
4:42:18
First, increase funding to nonprofit groups that increase access to government food benefits through the NYC benefits program and direct city council funding.
4:42:28
Accelerate the city's promised work to create a my city portal to allow application for multiple benefits at the same time online.
4:42:37
We urge you to urge the state to end the subminimum wage for tip food service workers to enact and fund a snap like program to be funded by the city, to give extra grocery funds to immigrants who may not be eligible for federal SNAP benefits to ensure that all classes in New York City public schools provide either in classroom school breakfast or grab and go breakfast in the hallways.
4:43:00
And finally, work with nonprofit groups to launch a comprehensive outreach and enrollment campaign to ensure robust participation in the new summer EBT program.
4:43:11
Thank you very much.
