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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Matt Jozwiak, Founder of Rethink Food, on Food Quality in NYC Shelters
1:57:48
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Matt Jozwiak, Founder of Rethink Food, testified on the ongoing issues with food quality in NYC shelters, emphasizing the need for increased oversight and third-party investigations. He highlighted the inadequacy of current inspection capabilities and the significant philanthropic resources being spent to supplement poor-quality shelter meals.
- Jozwiak calculated that it would take two years for seven people to inspect all 500+ shelters, suggesting the need to quadruple DHS staff for adequate oversight.
- He revealed that Rethink Food spends over $800,000 annually providing extra meals in the majority leader's district due to poor food quality in shelters.
- Jozwiak called for a third-party investigation into food quality issues, offering Rethink's assistance or suggesting involvement from the Department of Investigations.
Matt Jozwiak
1:57:48
Good afternoon.
1:57:49
I just want to thank the council, council member Juan, majority leader Frias, council member Brewer for taking the time to host yet another hearing on food quality at the shelter system.
1:58:01
And also, yes, I agree there are over 500 shelters.
1:58:04
And we did a little math while we were waiting back there.
1:58:06
It would take two years for seven people to inspect every single shelter if there was ten hours worth of work to do at each shelter.
1:58:13
So seven people is clearly not enough.
1:58:17
That's the main focus of our recommendation today is that there needs to be the the shelter system cannot police itself.
1:58:25
There needs to be at least quadruple the staff within DHS or to go and review independent shelters.
1:58:32
Currently our understanding is that there's only two people at Department of Homeless Services that are overseeing menus and food and the seven people that were mentioned for more for operational efficiency and things like that.
1:58:45
Our recommendation is that since the shelter system is nearly doubled since the migrants started coming to New York, that they have sizable budget increase where they can focus on food quality as among other several issues.
1:59:00
Rethink wants to be clear that this is an upstream issue that philanthropy is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on every single year.
1:59:07
While I was waiting to testify, I received a list of over eight sites that Rethink in your district majority leader, Rethink has to spend over $800,000 a year providing extra meals to these sites because the food quality is so bad.
1:59:21
This is a problem that's continued and continued and what our recommendation is is that there is at least a third party investigation into this.
1:59:31
It seems that the council and the city are very very far apart on food quality and where this is at and we are asking please if there's a third party rethink would be happy to do it or any other party or Department of Investigations to actually look into this issue because every single day we are wasting millions of dollars and every single day the food quality is putting people in hospitals.
1:59:53
Thank you so much for your time.