Achieving Food Security Within the City Budget

Join us in urging the NYC Council to prioritize food security in the 2026 City Budget.

Fill out this form to email your Councilmember and the Mayor’s office telling them to include funding for vital food programs in the next NYC budget.

Thank you for being the difference for New Yorkers who need food.

Food pantries are being asked to do more with less.

Food pantries and soup kitchens are vital for feeding vulnerable neighbors. But they’re struggling to meet growing demand due to rising food costs, a growing affordability crisis, and federal food program and safety net cuts.

We’re Fighting to protect food assistance programs so families can thrive.

We rely on City support to continue our vital work feeding New Yorkers. Join us in urging our leaders to invest in resources that will help us meet the rising demand for food assistance in New York City.

See our top three city budget priorities below.

Increase investments for New York’s food assistance network

67% of New Yorkers report having to choose between buying food and paying for other necessities like rent. When public benefits fall short or are not available, households turn to the food assistance network.

>1 in 6

New Yorkers facing food insecurity

80%

Increase in requests for food since before the pandemic

2/3

of NYers have to choose between buying groceries and other essentials like rent

Support SNAP administration to protect access to SNAP

Federal cuts threaten NYC’s budget for SNAP administration including application processing and outreach. SNAP application backlogs and processing errors directly cause eligible families to go unenrolled.

$11.3B

In economic activity annually statewide

1.7M

Low-income NYC residents rely on SNAP

1 in 4

NYC residents are eligible but not accessing SNAP

Sustain Funding to Food Access Programs for New Yorkers

City Council investment in programs like Get the Good Stuff, Health Bucks, and Groceries to Go sustains the community-based organizations on the front lines of hunger — expanding access to nutritious food, improving health outcomes, and reducing long-term healthcare costs for New Yorkers who need it most.

Take action to support critical food security programs!

Stand up to protect and enhance funding for direct food assistance, benefits outreach and access, city-wide food initiatives, and other programs New Yorkers rely on.

Email Your Legislator

…to support food security in New York State!

Join us at City Hall

…on 4/16 to call on the City Council to support food security priorities!

Be an Advocate

…and sign up for Advocacy updates to help shape a food-secure tomorrow for all New Yorkers!

Group of people standing on a staircase holding heart-shaped Food Bank for NYC signs and a poster advocating for increased SNAP benefits.

CITY BUDGET

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