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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joe Rosenberg, Executive Director of Catholic Community Relations Council
2:23:42
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Joe Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Relations Council, testified about the crisis level of food insecurity in New York City and the challenges faced by Catholic charities in addressing hunger. He emphasized the need for increased funding in the city budget to support food pantries and combat rising poverty and food costs.
- Highlighted that Catholic charities operate over 80 food pantries in NYC, serving 80,000,000 meals annually
- Noted a significant increase in diverse clients at food pantries, including working families, seniors, children, college students, and new migrants
- Called for $20,000,000 in emergency food funding to be included in the FY26 NYC budget for Catholic Charities and partner organizations
Joe Rosenberg
2:23:42
Good afternoon, chair Ayala.
2:23:44
I'm Joe Rosenberg, the executive director of the Catholic Community Relations Council.
2:23:48
Thank you for holding this hearing.
2:23:49
Its focus could not be more timely and thank you for being such a tremendous supporter of all of our food pantries.
2:23:55
Catholic charities of the Archdiocese of New York and Catholic charities of Brooklyn and Queens have been providing shelter, food and clothing to New Yorkers for more than a century.
2:24:02
These two charities combined with along with parishes in both dioceses operate over 80 food pantries throughout the five boroughs and serve more than 80,000,000 meals annually.
2:24:12
Both organizations as well as other nonprofit human service providers have faced many challenges feeding hungry New Yorkers over the years.
2:24:19
Right now, this challenge is at a crisis level due to several factors.
2:24:22
These include the increasing poverty rate of New Yorkers, the dramatic increase in rents, including the rising percentage of households who are rent burdened and paying over 50% of their income on rent, and even more significantly, the uncertain status of federal programs such as SNAP and the emergency food and shelter program that provide essential funding to address food insecurity for vulnerable Americans.
2:24:43
Non profit providers have seen the number of clients at pantries increase significantly.
2:24:48
We are not just assisting more working families, seniors and children at our pantries.
2:24:52
Newer clients include college students, recent college graduates who are either unemployed or underemployed, youth aging out of foster care, and new migrants, many of them with infants.
2:25:02
The plight of hungry children is particularly heartbreaking with more than one in four now city living in poverty.
2:25:07
That is why with more New Yorkers going hungry, we urge that $20,000,000 in emergency food for pantries be included in the f y twenty six New York City budget for both Catholic Charities as well as our partners, Met Council and the Hispanic Federation.
2:25:20
Spurred on by rapid food inflation, clients as well as the pantry serving them have been negatively impacted financially.
2:25:26
As a result, have difficulty providing as much fresh food to clients as in previous years due to these costs.
2:25:32
With more New Yorkers relying on pantries, we are forced to distribute dry goods and canned and jarred products rather than fresh produce to ensure that our clients do not leave hungry.
2:25:40
Our mission is to serve needy New Yorkers and help stem their hunger while providing them with the healthiest food options possible.
2:25:46
Our city faces daunting challenges, but few would disagree that our most important priority would be to ensure that New Yorkers do not go hungry.
2:25:54
We therefore call for your support including this essential $20,000,000 in the city budget.
2:25:58
Thank you.