Food Banks in Crisis
New York City food banks have declared a state of emergency as demands rapidly increase in response to the coronavirus. Nearly one-third of food pantries in the five boroughs have closed and others continue to struggle in order to feed New Yorkers in need. Food banks are also finding themselves short-staffed. There has been a sixty percent increase in the need for volunteers, according to the New York City Mission Society.
Last Friday Mayor Bill Deblasio announced 25 million dollars in emergency funding to help fill food banks’ needs. However, some nonprofit officials fear this might not be enough to help the pantries put food on people's plates.
Jean Schafiroff serves on the New York City Mission Society along with six other nonprofits. She fears a lack of funding will result in more food pantries shutting down as demands increase.
“Those that deliver the food are slow because the demand across the country for food is so great, and if the food pantries are not getting the food and if they’re not being funded appropriately and then they don’t have enough volunteers, they have to close down.”
Schafiroff says a way to help these food banks is with a simple donation.
“When you donate to a food pantry, it’s not only for the food that you’re giving money to, but it’s to pay for their overhead, pay for their staff, pay for the cost of distribution… and these expenses have to be paid in order for a food bank to survive.”
Some New York state senators are also fighting for food bank funding during the pandemic. In a virtual press conference on Friday, Senator David Carlucci said this situation is dire.
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