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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Carolina Cortes-Rivera, Digital Food Choice Program Manager at West Side Campaign Against Hunger
3:59:20
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168 sec
Carolina Cortes-Rivera, representing West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCA), testifies on the critical need for increased funding for food security programs in New York City. She highlights WSCA's digital food choice program and home delivery services, emphasizing the importance of accessibility and choice in addressing food insecurity.
- WSCA provided 5 million pounds of food to over 10,000 New Yorkers last year, with more than 50% being fresh produce.
- Cortes-Rivera calls for increasing the Community Food Connections (CFC) program funding to $100 million in the FY 2026 budget.
- She stresses the importance of CFC funding for emergency food providers and the need for continued city support despite cost-saving initiatives like the Round Table coalition.
Carolina Cortes-Rivera
3:59:20
Hi, thank you to General Welfare Committee Chair Diana Ayala for holding today's budget hearing, and the opportunity to submit this testimony.
3:59:28
My name is Carolina Cortez Rivera, and I'm here today as a Washington Heights constituent and anti hunger advocate.
3:59:34
I serve as a digital food choice program manager at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger known as WSCA, which for forty six years has worked to increase access to healthy foods, fresh produce, and connect New Yorkers in need with benefits enrollment.
3:59:45
In 2024, I helped over 2,000 customers receive groceries delivered directly to their homes, a distribution channel we're using to expand our vision of food access and choice.
3:59:54
Last year, Wiska provided 5,000,000 pounds of food to over a 10,000 New Yorkers.
3:59:58
More than 50% was fresh produce.
4:00:00
Our digital choice platform gives customers the options to select their grocery box type online and soon will let customers choose a pickup location closer to home.
4:00:09
Folks shouldn't have to endure long commutes to obtain their groceries, so we're working to address the accessibility gap by giving back a critical resource to our customers, time, especially given that many of them work long hours or have families to care for.
4:00:21
Choice is more than just choosing food items, it's also about where and when customers access their groceries free of stigma.
4:00:26
Our home delivery program reaches patients experiencing food insecurity, specifically pregnant people, families with young children, and older adults, many of whom live with chronic mobility issues.
4:00:36
Reliable access to healthy foods has clinical and preventative health benefits.
4:00:40
Every New Yorker deserves that.
4:00:43
None of this work is possible without the city's financial support.
4:00:46
Programs like Community Food Connections are critical in achieving food security in our city and help frontline providers like WSCA keep our pantries stocked with market quality fresh produce for our communities.
4:00:56
But we're struggling in a time where both housing and food and security are reaching another record high.
4:01:01
We've had to, for the first time, turn away new customers at our in person pantry on West 80 Sixth Street on the Upper West Side.
4:01:07
The need in our city is indisputable and access to nutritious food is fundamental to a dignified life.
4:01:12
Yet we're facing unjustifiable budget cuts to the very programs that help us innovatively increase food access and promote food as medicine.
4:01:19
So although last week the mayor proposed $31,000,000 again for c f c funding in the year ahead, we know this is not nearly enough and we ask that the f y twenty six New York City budget increase baseline funding to a total of a hundred million dollars for community food connections, formerly known as e fab.
4:01:34
CFC funding helps emergency food providers like WSCA purchase fresh high quality food for our communities.
4:01:39
Despite us implementing cost saving solutions through coalition building initiatives like the round table, we still need the city support to endure to ensure our communities are healthy and nourished.
4:01:48
Last year, the round table served 69,000,000 meals across 882 distribution points and saved over $200,000 in bulk purchasing through collective action.
4:01:56
Imagine the recent impact we could have with the city's increased financial support.
4:02:00
Thank you for your time and leadership and I'm hopeful that you can bolster the community food connections program to the needed levels and we're grateful for your continued support and leadership.
4:02:08
Thank you.