Food report reveals new statistics about hunger, food insecurity in the Bronx & Brooklyn

Reports from Hunger Free America show how certain areas of our city are suffering from food insecurity, and how the pandemic funding helped some families.

News 12 Staff

Nov 24, 2021, 10:37 AM

Updated 1,052 days ago

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With Thanksgiving tomorrow, many New Yorkers are setting themselves up for their holiday meals. However, a new report is highlighting the issues of food insecurity for people across New York City.
The report comes from Hunger Free America, stating that food insecurity for New Yorkers has gotten worse over the last few years. The Bronx was reported as the city’s “hungriest borough” with one in four residents experiencing food insecurity and over 400,000 Brooklyn residents being impacted.
According to this report, from 2018 to 2020 more than a million New Yorkers suffered from food insecurity and were unable to pay for a proper food supply.
Officials with Hunger Free America say that while food insecurity is still a problem, the data they found showed that pandemic federal aid for New Yorkers helped lead the way to a 56% drop in food insufficiency.
This report comes on the heels of the Build Back Better Bill, which some elected officials are hoping can provide more food resources for New Yorkers.
With elected officials and local nonprofits, like the Salvation Army, pushing for more food aid, New Yorkers are looking to break records for the largest number of Thanksgiving meals to be distributed from now until next week.
Josephine Rancy is one of dozens of New Yorkers coming out to the Salvation Army's series of food drives being held this Thanksgiving.
"It helps a lot of families who really need it and whoever is struggling with certain things," she says.
Organizers are giving away hot, savory Thanksgiving fixings, bags of food, and more than 4,000 turkeys to those in need.
For more information on the Salvation Army’s holiday food drives, click here