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The State is providing $25 million from its special public health emergency fund for food banks and providers most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Responding to an overwhelming surge in demand at food banks across New York—including a 100-percent increase in NYC—the State is providing $25 million from its special public health emergency fund for providers most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
Cuomo also announced during Monday’s press briefing that the State has launched the Nourish New York Initiative to purchase food and products from Upstate farms and direct it to food banks across NY. Additionally, the State will be partnering with New York’s dairy producers—Chobani, Dairy Farmers of America, Upstate Niagara, Cabot Cheese and others—to process excess milk into products like yogurt, cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese, that will be distributed to food banks and those in need.
“We’re seeing a tremendous demand in food banks, which is predictable in some ways. But, the numbers are very, very high, and we need to address it; 200 percent increase in Westchester, 100 percent increase New York City, 40 percent on Long Island, 40 to 60 percent across Upstate New York. So we’re going to commit $25 million for emergency funding for those food banks,” the governor said. “We also have an issue across upstate where, because the markets are so roiled, some farm cooperatives are actually dumping milk because the market can’t consume it. This is just total waste to me. We have people downstate who need food. We have farmers upstate who can’t sell their product. We have to put those two things together. It’s just common sense. But we have to make that marriage between product upstate and need downstate.”
In a letter to State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) last week called on the Cuomo administration to address the urgent issue of food wasting during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We need to find the means necessary that will provide our state’s farmers with resources and contacts to get their food and dairy surplus to the people that need it the most,” the senator said.
On Monday, Addabbo said he was “elated” to see the governor tackle the issue of food availability in the Empire State.
“It is so important to help provide for food-insecure New Yorkers, especially during a crisis. Also, I am fully behind the announced Nourish New York Initiative, which will buy food from the state’s farmers and get it into the food banks…this initiative will be a big win,” Addabbo added.“It is imperative that we work together towards getting the food and food-related funding to those specifically in need. I would like to thank Gov. Cuomo and all those involved for aggressively addressing the vitally important issue. We need to keep fighting for the most vulnerable New Yorkers during this pandemic, and continue to innovate new ways to do just that.”
The State isalso asking any philanthropic organizations that would like to help the state’s food banks to contact Fran Barrett, director of Non-Profits at COVIDPhilanthropies@exec.ny.gov.
