Today the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development, jointly with the Committee on General Welfare and Committee on Education, is considering a robust package of bills related to food access and equity issues. What follows is the written testimony submitted to the Committees by No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella:
Contact: Johanna Elsemore at 202-478-6554 or jelsemore@strength.org
INTRODUCTION
Good afternoon Chair Vallone, Chair Levin, Chair Treyger and members of the General Welfare, Education and Economic Development Committees of the New York City Council. My name is Rachel Sabella and I am the director of No Kid Hungry New York. Thank you for the opportunity to testify at today’s hearing about some of the bills being considered by the Committees today.
First, we thank the City Council for your steadfast commitment to addressing the issue of hunger and for protecting New Yorkers from dangerous proposals. The City Council has long been a leader in this arena – from championing Breakfast in the Classroom to the expansion of universal school meals to leading the charge for increased, baselined funding for food pantries and soup kitchens to creating food and hygiene pantries in New York City public schools - and we are grateful to count you as our partner in this work.
No Kid Hungry New York is a campaign of Share Our Strength, a national anti-hunger organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty. Using proven, practical strategies, our No Kid Hungry campaign builds public-private partnerships with the goal of ensuring children have access to the healthy food they need, every day. In addition to our grant-making in all 50 states, we work with governors, state legislators, municipal leaders, and federal policymakers to identify best practices that ensure hungry children have access to healthy meals while they’re at school, and when they’re out of school.
Since 2011, our No Kid Hungry New York campaign has helped connect thousands of children across the state with school breakfast and summer meals.
FOOD INSECURITY: THE NEED & WHY IT MATTERS
One in 5 kids in New York City struggles with hunger. Here’s what that means: In some families, the pantry is completely empty. In others, mom or dad skips dinner a few nights a week so the kids can have something to eat in the evening. In others, families are making impossible decisions between paying the rent or buying groceries. This has a profound effect on kids and families.
When kids aren’t getting the consistent nutrition they need throughout the day and throughout the year, it’s harder for them to grow up healthy, happy and strong. Hunger makes it harder to focus in class. Test scores drop, and students are more likely to miss class time because they’re in the nurse’s office with headaches or stomach aches. Discipline problems rise, while attendance levels fall.
Ensuring that kids get healthy food is the first step on the path out of poverty and in creating a more equitable city for children. When kids get regular healthy meals they do better on tests, have fewer discipline problems, have fewer health problems and are more likely to graduate from high school. School meal programs, like Breakfast in the Classroom, build greater equity among students, ensuring that all kids are starting their day on a level playing field. As federal challenges to anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs threaten access for low-income and immigrant families, New York City should continue to be clear that its leadership will fight to ensure kids have the food they need to succeed.
BILLS BEING CONSIDERED TODAY
No Kid Hungry New York commends Speaker Johnson and the entire New York City Council for taking a major step to advance food policy and end hunger in New York City. While this is a robust package of bills, we will comment on a select few.
Int. No. 1664 - A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring the office of food policy to formulate a 10-year food policy plan
This bill allows New York City to create a comprehensive plan to address a range of food related issues such as food insecurity and food equity over the next 10 years. No Kid Hungry New York supports the development of such a plan. We particularly appreciate that the creation of the plan requires input from different external stakeholders. There are many organizations in New York City, New York State and across the country working on child nutrition, food insecurity, food policy, and food access, who have important perspectives to be shared with New York City’s leaders. Further, input from external partners also allows for lessons learned in other states and municipalities to be incorporated into this plan. New York City has a long, storied tradition of working closely with non-profits on issues of food insecurity and it is essential that this bill ensures it will continue to happen in the future. No Kid Hungry New York looks forward to contributing to the 10 year food policy plan for New York City.
Int. No. 1666 - A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the establishment of an office of food policy
The Office of Food Policy can and should play a critical role in anti-hunger and food policy in New York City. No Kid Hungry New York supports this bill and the expansion of the Office. As the federal government weighs changes to food support programs, the New York City Office of Food Policy would represent the important role that these programs play for citizens.
Further, No Kid Hungry New York would support adding a section 5 to the bill which would state “coordinate regular meetings of representatives from each city agency on food support programs.” The New York City Office of Food Policy is in a position to play a unique role in supporting and expanding access to the many food programs that exist across city agencies. For example, while the Summer Meals program is run through the New York City Department of Education, programs are run in sites led by city agencies including the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Social Services. Requiring regular meetings and coordination by the Office of Food Policy would help to ensure these agencies – as well as every agency that could promote the program – are meeting on a regular basis solely on food issues, and identify ways to streamline interagency and cross-department operations in increasing access and utilization of food support programs.
Int. No. 1675 -- A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the distribution of information regarding summer meals
No Kid Hungry New York supports efforts to expand awareness about the availability of summer meals. This bill would require the expansion of the law to require the Department of Education to mail the list of summer meals sites to every student eligible for free and reduced price lunch as well as include the three closest locations to their home. While time-intensive to create, this information will be helpful to families. We would recommend inserting the term “in multiple languages” in the bill to ensure language barriers do not keep families from accessing the summer meals program. Further, we recommend amending the language to say “the home address of every student including students that are eligible for the federal free and reduced price lunch program“ – this change ensures every student would receive this information at home. For many families in New York City (and across the United States), an increase of several dollars to their yearly salary could rule them ineligible for free and reduced price meals, yet summer meals are essential to their family’s survival. New York City advertises the program as being available for ALL students so we recommend this mailing be sent to ALL students.
Int. No. 1676 - A Local Law in relation to requiring the department of education to report on implementing scratch-cooked school food service
No Kid Hungry New York is pleased to support the Department of Education’s scratch-cooking initiative. We have previously provided funding to support the upgrade of a Summer Meals truck to support scratch cooking efforts. Through scratch-cooking, the Department of Education is creating new and unique ways to encourage students to take advantage of no-cost child nutrition programs. Further, for some, the concept of scratch cooking helps to break down unfair stereotypes of school meal programs. We support the bill’s goal of collecting additional information about the program as well as acknowledging barriers that would need to be overcome to expand the program.
CONCLUSION
Together, we can end childhood hunger in New York City. No Kid Hungry is working with partners across New York to make sure all kids get the food they need to grow up strong. We stand together to work with you and to ensure all children and their families have access to the food they need.
We know this is a problem we can solve. Thank you to the New York City Council for your continued support and leadership in this battle.