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The Issue
The Issue
Food security is a mental, emotional, academic and physical health issue. When students don’t have enough to eat, it can lead to a series of problems that make it harder to persist through school. Hunger can affect their cognitive development, academic performance, sleep quality and impacts sociability.
College meal plans for students are often too expensive for low-income students. Many weigh paying for food against other needs. In a recent report, the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice revealed that 48% of the 22,000 CUNY students who responded to a campus survey were food insecure in the prior 30 days and 55% were housing insecure in the previous year. And almost 80% were unaware or unsure whether their campus had a food pantry!
Exasperated by the COVID crisis, food stamp applications in NYC have increased 67% and more and more pantries are serving food insecure students and their families.
The Vision
The Vision
All students have enough to eat
All schools make food security a top priority
The Bridge
The Bridge
Local
Local
New York City Department of Education must
invest in ongoing communication around awareness of available resources
continue the Pandemic EBT ($420 a student)
provide higher quality grab and go meals for all New Yorkers, not just students (if you wouldn't eat it, why offer or serve it?)
use data to assess students’ need for food (COVID survey, research, look at Nick Freudenburg)
provide take home meal options for students after school and for weekends
Colleges must
invest in ongoing communication around awareness of available resources -- including an annual event/orientation/course offering/advocacy day
open/extend food pantry hours on all campuses
provide cafeteria cards similar to SUNY (long-term when students go back to school) - # of meals per semester (3 meals a day for a semester) to use in cafeteria
use data to assess students’ need for food (COVID survey, research, look at Nick Freudenburg)
Private philanthropy must
continue to invest in ensuring food security
The City of New York must
provide $1 million in vouchers for college students for groceries
State
State
The State of New York must
continue to invest in ensuring food security
work to ensure that all college coursework qualifies for SNAP eligibility for college students (Federal/State)
Federal
Federal
The Federal Government must
ensure that all college coursework qualifies for SNAP eligibility for college students
offer students eligible for SNAP an additional $500 a year
Call to Action
Call to Action
COMING SOON
Resources
Resources
Food Research & Action Center’s Transition Recommendations
Food Research & Action Center’s Transition Recommendations
“This is the Time to Heal in America,” and It Begins With Addressing Hunger
Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center Resource Guides
Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center Resource Guides
The Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center has created a Coronavirus NYC Neighborhood Food Resource Guide. Each resource guide includes information related to food access within the community, such as meals for students and seniors during this time, delivery services for people with disabilities, and resources for immigrants.
Created in collaboration with CityHarvest and the United Way, Plentiful makes reservations at food pantries. The group works with about a third of all pantries in the city, according to Bryan Moran, Plentiful’s development director. He encourages anyone looking for free food to visit the website — which keeps an updated map of all pantry locations and hours — or simply text “FOOD” to the number 726-879 (PANTRY) for registration directions in nine languages.
One of the city's largest food pantries and soup kitchens -- welcomes new clients for intake at their 8 E. 109th St. site from 10 am - 4 pm, Monday - Saturday. Food distribution hours are between 10 am - 2 pm, Wednesday - Saturday. Hot lunches are provided from 2:30 - 3:30 pm, Monday - Friday. "Brown Bag" distribution is 4 - 5 pm on weekends. They've also added a seniors-only (age 60+) food distribution on Mondays from 10 am - 2 pm. Email NYCPServices@nycommonpantry.org or call 917.720.9700 for help.
The team at Hunter College’s Food Policy Center is putting information about free food in its Neighborhood Food Resource Guides.
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