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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lynette Brown, Food Resource Coordinator at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
2:28:12
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Lynette Brown from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens testifies about the significant increase in food insecurity and the challenges faced by their network of food pantries. She highlights the rising demand for food assistance and requests support for their efforts to feed hungry New Yorkers.
- Catholic Charities' network of 61 pantries has seen up to 1000% increase in attendance since the pandemic, now feeding an average of 37,000 people per month.
- The organization is experiencing challenges due to rising food prices and uncertainty about federal funding.
- Brown requests $20 million in emergency food pantry funding in the FY2026 New York City budget to support their efforts.
Lynette Brown
2:28:12
Good afternoon chair Ayala and fellow committee chair members.
2:28:15
I am Lynette Brown, food resource coordinator for Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.
2:28:21
I have worked within our network of 61 food pantries throughout Brooklyn And Queens since 2023.
2:28:27
Before that, I was a volunteer at an at our network pantry Saint Benedict de Moor in Jamaica and Our Lady of Mercy in Brownsville.
2:28:34
I'm happy to be here today as the subject of food and hunger insecurity in New York City is close to my heart.
2:28:42
Since the pandemic, many of our pantries have seen an increase in attendance of 1000% or more.
2:28:49
Small parish pantries that fed 25 to 30 people each week started seeing 400 to 500 clients.
2:28:56
Things started to level off in 2021.
2:28:59
And while we never went back to pre pandemic numbers, things became more manageable.
2:29:04
By 2023, our network of 61 pantries was feeding an average of 25,000 people a month.
2:29:10
But we have seen a steady increase in the number of people needing food, and it is a diverse population that spans from young adults to elderly working families, college students, and the underemployed.
2:29:22
Our pantries in Southern Brooklyn, especially our Maylie of Miracles in Karnassi, have seen an influx of newly arrived Haitians and Ukrainians.
2:29:31
We are seeing more and more young people come to us for help.
2:29:34
Last year, we opened a pantry at Our Lady of Sorrows in Corona.
2:29:38
Many of the clients, have families with young children or they're helping support their parents.
2:29:43
Our pantries in Long Island City and Woodside Queens are seeing larger number of people than ever before.
2:29:49
Since the fall of twenty twenty four, we are feeding a total average of 37,000 people a month throughout all of our food pantries in Brooklyn and Queens.
2:29:58
The price of food is rising and funding is becoming more difficult.
2:30:03
As hard as last year was, this year's provide proving even more difficult.
2:30:08
The uncertainty of what lies ahead for federal government has everyone nervous.
2:30:13
The price of staples such as eggs, butter, milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables has surged.
2:30:17
These increases have forced us to change our food distribution.
2:30:21
Please support our continuing efforts to feed hungry New Yorkers by providing 20,000,000 in emergency food pantry monies in the fiscal year twenty twenty six New York City budget.
2:30:31
Thank you.