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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lakisha Morris, Division Director for Food and Housing Stability at Catholic Charities Community Services
2:26:04
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122 sec
Lakisha Morris from Catholic Charities Community Services testified about the increasing demand for food assistance and the challenges faced by their organization in meeting these needs. She highlighted a 25% increase in food insecurity and requested additional funding to support their efforts.
- Catholic Charities served over 5.8 million meals to 58,000 households last year
- The organization is facing challenges due to rising food costs, decreased SNAP benefits, and funding shortages
- Morris requested $20 million in city funding and restoration of CFC funding to support their work
Lakisha Morris
2:26:04
My name is Lakisha Morris and I'm the division director for food and housing stability at Catholic Charities Community Services.
2:26:11
Catholic Charities is committed to serving vulnerable populations, providing assistance to those in need across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
2:26:21
Just last year we served over 5,800,000 meals to over 58,000 unique households of a total of 650,000 individuals.
2:26:33
Rising demand and challenge that we are seeing today is about 25% increase in the number of people that are food insecure coming to our pantries and that's due to the lack of snap benefits, food inflation costs, and lack of income.
2:26:51
As donations decrease and food costs rise, it's especially essential needs like eggs, meat, fresh produce that many of our community members need.
2:27:02
The demand has grown but the resources is dwindling at this point.
2:27:08
Funding shortages with the federal and city level and it's really crippling our ability to make sure that every household that is in need of food is able to access it.
2:27:21
What we're asking for is to consider funding 20,000,000 in the city funding to allow us to be able to do the vital work that needs to be done to serve our community members so no one goes hungry.
2:27:36
In addition to that, we are asking that we restore and increase CFC funding, make it stable, so we don't have to sit here every year wondering how we're going to feed our New Yorkers in need.
2:27:49
And in addition to that, we would really appreciate your support in our state ask as it relates to SNAP and food assistance funding like FSAP for instance that is on hold today that has crippled many of our pantries, and I thank you for your time.