  “The Food Bank is unique because they are not just the largest provider of food, serving over 1,000 food pantries and soup kitchens — we think of Food Bank as the thought leader as it relates to food policy across New York. "The Food Bank has adjusted their model to understand that we have to address the root causes, which means the services that will lift people out of poverty and change their lives past one meal.” —Eric Weingartner, Robin Hood Foundation.
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Food Stamp Direct Service & Outreach
With approximately 1.4 million people relying on soup kitchens and food pantries in our city, access to the federal Food Stamp Program (also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) is an essential issue for low-income New Yorkers who struggle to afford food. As the premiere food stamp outreach and enrollment organization throughout the five boroughs, the Food Bank For New York City's Food Stamp Direct Service & Outreach Program works to educate and connect directly with low-income New Yorkers to ensure access to this key piece of the hunger safety net. As part of our efforts to connect New Yorkers to food stamp benefits, the Food Stamp Direct Service & Outreach Program reaches out to the community through events and through media campaigns. This outreach encourages potentially eligible New Yorkers to apply to the Food Stamp Program and fosters a positive perception of food stamps. The Food Bank's food stamp specialists attend dozens of citywide outreach events throughout the year, answering questions and encouraging thousands of New Yorkers to apply for food stamps. Once outreach has identified in-need populations, the Food Bank conducts pre-screenings with low-income New Yorkers to assess their eligibility and move them toward participation in the Food Stamp Program. In addition to assessing the eligibility of low-income households, these one-on-one meetings provide New Yorkers with access to trained professionals who provide detailed information and answer questions regarding food stamps. Our food stamp information call center (212.894.8060) is available throughout the work week, providing regular access to food stamp specialists who can conduct prescreenings and answer questions. In addition, the Food Bank conducts followup calls for individuals who expressed an interest in food stamps while participating in our Tax Assistance Program. The Food Bank also provides electronic application assistance through 21 sites in all five boroughs and actively works to recruit additional sites from our citywide network of food assistance programs and other community-based organizations. Through this effort, Food Bank–trained staff work directly with New Yorkers, taking them through the complete application process within a comfortable, community setting. To date, this program has helped New Yorkers submit close to 7,000 applications with an over 80 percent application approval rate. The success of this community-based initiative has recently led to further partnerships with the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), NYC Department for the Aging and the Medicare Rights Center. In order to ensure that full benefits are received, the Food Bank additionally helps to mediate problems that arise during the application process at the city's Human Resources Administration (HRA). If you would like more information on Food Bank's Direct Services & Outreach Program, please contact Patrick Curtin, Benefits Access Program Assistant. For food stamp pre-screenings, please call Food Bank's call center at 212.894.8060.  |
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