Priority III: Meet the current demand for food by ensuring food pantries have the resources to safely feed families

Ensure that the charitable food pantry network has the resources to meet the current need of all New Yorkers to safely feed their families by having the necessary support to provide access to culturally desirable foods in a safe environment for all New Yorkers of different identities and abilities.

Because we need policies that put healthful and culturally desirable food within reach for all New Yorkers, while also leaning on our values to uplift models that don’t exploit our food system. This means that we must:

• Design and leverage programs like Nourish NY, HPNAP, PFRED, Get Food, school meals, TEFAP and other government food access programs to not only adequately support the demand for emergency food, but to be intentional about whom and how we source the food.
• Advocate for flexible funding for pantries to be able to stock their pantry shelves, afford rent for their pantry space, cover overhead costs for staff and waste removal, and access equipment and investments in infrastructure to safely store and distribute food.