Field & Fork Network Launches Double Up Food Bucks NY at First Save-A-Lot Store in Niagara Falls
Lisa French, Dan Egan,Andrés Vives
In October, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office announced Wall Streetprofits may exceed $47 billion in 2024. In May, the office reported 1 in 9 New Yorkhouseholds experienced food insecurity in 2023.With 52 Fortune 500 companies and 135billionaires in New York, the harsh realitythat many families are struggling to put foodon the table can be hard to comprehend.
As leaders of Field & Fork Network, Feeding New York State, and Hunger Solutions New York, we know the policies that will combat hunger. In the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, New York must expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) access and benefits, increase funding for emergency food programs and more.
SNAP helps over 2.9 million New Yorkers buy food at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Fully funding the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program — which helps eligible families connect with SNAP — can ensure New Yorkers have access to this vital program.
Lisa French | Field & Fork Network
New York can make SNAP more impactful by increasing benefits. Some New Yorkers receive just $23 per month after pandemic emergency benefits expired in 2023. Other states, including New Jersey, stepped up to ensure no SNAP participant receives less than $95 per month. New York must provide a minimum benefit of $100.
Our state can provide basic fairness to immigrant families contributing to our culture and economy, with undocumented residents alone providing over $3 billion annually in state and local taxes.
Dan Egan | Feeding New York State
Many immigrant families are disproportionately affected by food insecurity but are excluded from SNAP or subjected to half-decade-long waiting periods. New York must establish SNAP4All so all income-eligible New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, are eligible.
Nourish New York and the Hunger Prevention & Nutrition Assistance Program enabled New York food banks and community organizations to distribute over 60 million pounds of food in 2023. With rising hunger and costs of living, emergency food distributions are significantly higher than pre-pandemic. Boosting funding to $75 million for each program allows organizations to keep up with demand while supporting our state’s farmers and producers.
Andres Vives | Hunger Solutions New York
Double Up Food Bucks NY allows SNAP recipients to double their benefits when purchasing fruits and vegetables. Over the last decade, New York families purchased almost 5 million pounds of produce through this program, with $3.4 million in revenue going directly to New York farmers. We must adequately fund Double Up Food Bucks NY.
And New York must fully fund universal free school meals for the more than 280,000 students who remain without access. Closing the gap would alleviate hunger, eliminate stigma and meal debt, support children’s health, and save families $165 per month in food costs.
We in New York have the opportunity to reduce hunger with sensible, effective solutions. We know they work. Let’s get it done.