U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced a bill to help families in need of food amid the pandemic.

Food pantries in New York state have been faced with a major demand due to the pandemic, which is only growing as schools begin to reopen.

To help combat this, Sen. Gillibrand visited food pantries across the city and announced the "Ensuring Nutrition for America's Students Act."

Many families lost access to free or reduced lunches when the pandemic caused schools to shut down earlier this year. Although the city began to provide grab-and-go meals, this bill would bring nutritional resources to families.

Gillibrand handed out bags of food to a line of people wrapped around the block outside the Abraham House.

The Abraham House and Catholic Charities work together to provide services to families living in poverty.

The senator says the pandemic exposed disparities that exist in the country, and that the next relief package must prioritize expanding Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer and SNAP benefits.

"This is not an issue that can wait. You can't provide meals to kids retroactively. I will keep working with my colleagues to make sure that both sides of the aisle make this program a priority," Gillibrand says.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. praised Gillibrand, saying, "We're grateful that at least somebody in the U.S. Senate, at least somebody in Washington, D.C. is thinking about us, understands us, but is also not just giving us lip service, you're actually putting your deeds to action."

Gillibrand says the Bronx has the highest unemployment rate in the city, with 1 in 4 residents out of a job because of COVID-19, which highlights the need for the program.