MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES CITY HAS DISTRIBUTED 100 MILLION MEALS TO NEW YORKERS SINCE MARCH, CALLS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE

 Mayor de Blasio and Sanitation Commissioner and COVID-19 Food Czar Kathryn Garcia today announced that the City of New York has distributed an astounding 100 million meals to New Yorkers in need since March. The 100 million free meals distributed covers meals at DOE Grab & Go Meal Hubs and those distributed via the Emergency Home Food Delivery Program, which employs Taxi and Limousine Commission-licensed drivers to bring food to New Yorkers who cannot go out or afford private delivery options. This emergency effort by the City of New York exists in addition to the longstanding and continuing work of nonprofits across the five boroughs. New York City remains committed to ensuring no New Yorker goes hungry due to this crisis, and anyone in need can connect to services via 311 or at nyc.gov/getfood.

“No New Yorker should ever go a day without being able to put food on the table,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve distributed one hundred million meals to New Yorkers in need, and we won’t stop there. The federal government must step up and continue to provide funding so we can continue our mission to ensure no New Yorker goes hungry.”

“One hundred million meals distributed is an incredible achievement, and I want to celebrate every staff member, vendor, and community partner who helped fulfill our City’s fundamental need to eat. I hope the federal government will support us in continuing this effort as long as need among seniors and the most vulnerable New Yorkers persists, whether through reimbursements for food distributed or through new benefits like P-EBT. Any New Yorker in need can call 311 or visit nyc.gov/getfood to get connected to services,” said Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation and the City’s COVID-19 Food Czar.

New York City is leading a robust outreach effort around a new federal benefit, P-EBT, which will give $420 per child to all public school parents for groceries, regardless of income or immigration status. Many parents who already received SNAP or Medicaid have seen this benefit reach their accounts already, with others expected to receive new cards from New York State later this year. Multilingual flyers about P-EBT can be seen here.

“One hundred million meals means one hundred million times New Yorkers did not go hungry during the health and economic crises caused by COVID-19. I am so proud of the heroic work of our food service employees to keep children, families, and entire communities fed. Staving off hunger is not a privilege, it is a necessity, and the federal government must step up to fully fund our fight to keep our most vulnerable New Yorkers nourished,” said Richard A. Carranza, New York City Schools Chancellor.

“The TLC’s licensed drivers continue to be active partners in our City’s recovery, and in fulfilling the Mayor’s promise that no one will go hungry during this crisis. The importance of federal support for our crucial work cannot be understated,” said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk.

“One of our goals as a City was to ensure no one went without access to food during these difficult times, and today’s milestone is a testament to our commitment to helping our fellow New Yorkers. I want thank all of our partners who have made this initiative possible, and as we look ahead, we hope the federal government will support us with the financial resources to continue providing these essential resources to our families who need them most,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell.