July 3rd, 2024
“Roughly 78% of families said the cost of food was rising faster than their income, with 70% indicating it had become harder to afford groceries in the past year, according to a March poll conducted by the No Kid Hungry advocacy group.”
July 2nd, 2024
“No Kid Hungry New York announced over $146,000 in grants to help eleven public school districts and community organizations in rural areas across upstate New York provide more kids with free, nutritious meals all summer long. The new funding takes aim at key barriers that have kept families from utilizing free summer meals in the past by providing grab-n-go meal options, home-delivery, expanding hours and opening new convenient locations.”
The Daily News: Le Roy Central School offers summer meals
July 1st, 2024
“Each of these partners has found new and innovative ways to reach families with free summer meals the ways they know works best for their community, and No Kid Hungry is so proud to support them,” said No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella.
WNYT: Grants to help expand free summer meal program for kids
July 1st, 2024
“Capital Region families will now have more options to get free summer meals for kids. No Kid Hungry New York announced Monday over $146,000 in grants to help 11 public school districts and community organizations in rural areas provide more kids with free, nutritious meals all summer long.”
The Salamanca Press: Salamanca schools to continue serving free meals through 2028
June 18th, 2024
“Students who are participating in summer programming can eat in the buildings congregate-style or, if they wish to get a to-go lunch, can come in and pick up a grab-n-go lunch or non-congregate meal.”
May 29th, 2024
Ny1: Advocates worry popular school foods could again be on the chopping block
May 23rd, 2024
“We need to make sure this isn’t going to happen again and that next year, every month of the school year, there are items on the menus that kids enjoy and they want to eat,” Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry, said.
NY1: Proposed House Farm Bill’s impact on Thrifty Food Program
May 23rd, 2024
While overall SNAP benefits continue to increase, No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella says the change will result in $30 billion less than expected under the 2021 reevaluation to the Thrifty Food Plan.
“Right now we know New Yorkers are struggling,” Sabella said. “No Kid Hungry New York recently did a survey, 85% of respondents said that their incomes were not rising as fast as grocery prices. So with this rollback, it’s going to be even harder for them to have access to nutritious foods.”
Olean Times Herald: Salamanca schools offering summer meals with No Kid Hungry grant
May 17th, 2024
“As part of No Kid Hungry’s continuing effort to ensure all children in Salamanca remain nourished and healthy, the Salamanca City Central School District has received $15,100 in grant funding to help feed more children in the community.”
NY1 Talk Back: Study: Many New Yorkers Facing Hardship Providing for Themselves, Their Families
May 7th, 2024
Yeshiva World News: Poll Reveals 85% of New Yorkers Struggle with Soaring Grocery Costs
April 25th, 2024
“The financial strain is also affecting mental health, with 58% of adults in the state feeling more stressed about providing nutritious meals for their families compared to last year.”
April 24th, 2024
Breitbart: Poll: 85% of New Yorkers Say Grocery Costs Are Rising Faster than Their Income
April 24th, 2024
“The poll found that school-aged children in rural areas of New York are suffering the most, with 87 percent of parents saying their incomes have not been able to support the increasing cost of groceries.”
BKReader: New Poll Shows New Yorkers Struggling With Rising Food Prices
April 24th, 2024
“Just under half of New Yorkers (43%) reported a sign of food insecurity, including eating less nutritious food or not having enough to eat. Roughly half of New Yorkers said they now purchase less, or no, fresh produce and proteins like because of the cost.”
April 23rd, 2024
“A report from No Kid Hungry says the cost of food is increasing faster than the paycheck for a majority of families. This is forcing them to make cuts around the dinner table.”
NY1: New survey reveals more New Yorkers are struggling with rising food costs
April 23rd, 2024
“A new poll from the nonprofit No Kid Hungry New York details that 79% of New Yorkers across the state are saying it had become harder to afford groceries over the past year, a rise from the year before.”
ABC 7: More New Yorkers struggling with rising food prices as costs outpace income, poll says
April 23rd, 2024
“When children start the day with a nutritious breakfast, when they have that protein, they grow stronger,” Sabella said. “They have higher attendance rates. They do better in school on exams, but they also have less chronic health issues.”
April 23rd, 2024
“As New Yorkers grapple with an affordability crisis, rising food prices are adding to their cost of living according to a new poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry New York. 85 percent of New Yorkers reported that the cost of food was rising faster than their income.”
NY Daily News: Beating child hunger with tastier school food
March 8th, 2024
“Restoring these cuts to school meals and menus means we can keep making progress in this fight. The success of quality no-cost school meals, ensuring at least two healthy meals a day to every child, is vital at a time when hunger is on the rise.”
March 7th, 2024
“It’s a real win,” said Rachel Sabella, director of the nonprofit No Kid Hungry, “because those items drove up participation. When more kids get the nutrition they need to thrive in the classroom, they help grow our great city even stronger.”
Harlem World Magazine: Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks, And No Kid Hungry NY Honor NYC’s “Hunger Heroes” And Food Education Champions
March 7th, 2024
“These 53 workers, dedicated cafeteria staff who directly serve 800,000 meals to students every day, are on the frontlines of combatting hunger in NYCPS. Each of today’s honorees awarded by No Kid Hungry New York was nominated by leadership from each of the city’s school districts and Office of Food and Nutrition food service administration teams, including inspectors and compliance professionals.”
March 7th, 2024
The news was officially announced at Thursday’s No Kid Hungry event honoring “hunger heroes” across city school districts, like P.S. 32 cafeteria cook Anna Yolene Nicolas Denis, known to students as “Anna Banana.” “I’m happy because they keep asking for it,” said Nicolas Denis. “I’m so happy, I cry inside and laugh outside.”
NY 1: Exclusive: City to restore many school food items cuts from menus
March 6th, 2024
“We’ll be watching very closely, looking at menus, looking at budget documents. But I know the administration is listening. I know they made this change very quickly. And they want to make sure more kids are eating,” Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry, said.
The Buffalo News: Another Voice: New York needs the expanded Child Tax Credit
February 29th, 2024
January 22nd, 2024
“For families who have been able to take advantage of the benefits, advocates have said they can be hugely consequential. Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, said P-EBT funds “can be the difference between a child going hungry or having a healthy, nutritious meal.”
The Examiner News: Calling on New York’s Federal Reps to Support WIC and Help Children
January 16th, 2024
Finger Lakes Times: LETTER: Time is running out for Congress to help WIC program
January 16th, 2024
“With the Jan. 19 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown looming, we’re calling on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Chuck Schumer, our House Majority member Marcus Molinaro, and all our representatives in Congress to act quickly to fully fund WIC, ensuring that all of New York State’s children get the nutrition they need to grow up healthy.”
Common Dreams: 15 GOP-Controlled States Say No to Federal Dollars to Feed Hungry Children
January 10th, 2024
“No Kid Hungry New York said Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to accept approximately $200 million to feed 2 million vulnerable children “represents a historic opportunity to dramatically reduce hunger for kids” in the state.”
Mid Hudson News: Letter to the Editor: Fully fund WIC
January 9th, 2024
“Across New York State, nearly 124,000 parents, infants, and young children could be turned away from WIC, a federal nutrition program designed specifically to help pregnant women and new moms afford essentials like formula, milk and fresh produce.”
NYN Media: Tackling food insecurity on the rise in New York
January 4th, 2024
“There are many factors that can push a family into food insecurity: the rising cost of groceries due to inflation, low wages or income lost during the pandemic, food benefit programs and social assistance that were cut back,” Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York told New York Nonprofit Media. “The latest data from the USDA tells us all these factors are putting more kids at risk of hunger.”
Long Island Weekly: Neighbors In Need: Combating Food Insecurity
January 2nd, 2024
“Providing families with direct assistance to pay for groceries, and providing kids with no-cost meals at schools and other community sites are proven ways to fight hunger. But right now, the programs that help feed kids and families are under attack. Your voices matter. Reach out to your local, state and federal elected officials and urge them to prioritize programs that focus on hunger and the well-being of kids.”
WAMC: Nonprofits push NY Gov. Hochul to opt into summer EBT program by January deadline
December 26th, 2023
“The holidays are an especially busy time for food pantries in the U.S. Ahead of the new year, however, nonprofits across New York are asking Governor Kathy Hochul to start planning for the summer, when many food insecure families lose access to school meals and other programs. Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, says the state has the opportunity to sign up for a new summer electronic benefits transfer program offered by the federal government — but it needs to opt in by January 1.”
amNY: 2023 was New Yorkers’ toughest year yet at the dinner table
December 19th, 2023
“2023 made it incredibly challenging for many families to feed their children–but in 2024 doesn’t have to be. We can do more than just prevent empty plates and lunch trays: we can expand the efforts we know work, and make it a healthy, nourishing year for all of New York’s families.”
Spectrum News: Hochul urged to OK funding for program providing food aid for children
December 18th, 2023
“No Kid Hungry New York and dozens of other organizations urged Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration in a letter Monday to prioritize funding for a federal program aimed to provide about $200 million in food aid to vulnerable children, the organization said.”
Albany Times Union: Letters: Experts underscore need for universal school lunch
December 18th, 2023
“As child hunger rises and inflation hurts families’ budgets, school meals matter more than ever for parents trying to make ends meet, and kids who need nutritious food. We join the Editorial Board in urging the state to make no-cost breakfast and lunch available to every student in New York.”
Staten Island Live: Hunger hides in plain sight on Staten Island (opinion)
December 15th, 2023
“I think people underestimate how prevalent hunger is on Staten Island. We have the same proportion of families relying on SNAP grocery benefits as Manhattan and Queens: One in seven. And while SNAP utilization is higher on the North Shore, the sharpest increases since 2019 came from the Mid-Island (up 29%) and South Shore (up 37%).
There is no “typical” family that relies on food assistance. It hits people of all backgrounds, of all ages, in every single community.”
News 12 Long Island: Nonprofits partner with Freeport schools to help community with food insecurity
November 30th, 2023
‘No Kid Hungry NY and Island Harvest partnered with the Freeport Union Free School District to help the community with food insecurity.
Officials with Island Harvest says they provided supplemental food support to over 1,300 Freeport families with fresh fruits and vegetables at different schools since July 2023.”
November 30th, 2023
“For every dollar of SNAP that a family receives, that generally is about $1.50, $1.60 going back into the local economy,” said Stephanie Wu Winter, with No Kid Hungry New York.
Newsday: It’s time to help those in need on Long Island
November 24th, 2023
“A study from No Kid Hungry in the spring found that 52% of Long Islanders said they worry about how to pay for food if they had an unexpected $500 expense. Nationally, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed that 17 million households, or 12.8%, had difficulty providing food to all of their members at some point in 2022.”
Spectrum News Albany: Examining food insecurity in children across New York state
November 19th, 2023
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen what inflation has done. Whether it’s the cost of heating, the cost of housing, the cost of gas. Everybody is facing increased costs. Families that were traditionally middle-class, were just getting by, are still facing this, it’s hitting so many different levels of families and kids across the country.”
November 14th, 2023
Stephanie Wu Winter, a senior program manager for No Kid Hungry, stressed the urgent need for the benefits.
“We’re glad these programs are being stood up and recognize it’s no small task to administer them,” she said in a statement. “But there’s a clear opportunity to increase outreach to families and give them direct lines of communication to understand what benefits they’re eligible for and when they’ll receive them. There’s time to get this right, but only if we move quickly.”
October 31st, 2023
“What was most surprising that came out of this USDA report was the skyrocketing increase of child hunger,” Sabella said. “Last year, it was one in eight children that could face food insecurity. This year, we’re looking at nearly one in five kids.”
News12 Brooklyn: New York organizations looking to combat food insecurity as issue grows
October 25th, 2023
“We often say hunger hides in plain sight,” said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. “Towards the end of the week, when the cupboards are getting bare, it may mean that a family member, a caregiver are skipping meals so that they’re able to give more food to their child.”
PIX 11 News: New York City school’s cafeteria staff honored for making healthy meals
October 17th, 2023
“On Tuesday at P.S. 56 in Norwood Heights in the Bronx, staff members were honored and thanked by students and No Kid Hungry, which helps provide healthy meals and nutritional education to students.”
Staten Island Advance: School meals provide nutrition, stretch family budget (letter to the editor)
October 14th, 2023
“The new school year is in full swing across New York. For many kids, it also means the return of an important source of nutrition: school meals.”
The Daily News: Letter: It’s ‘National School Lunch Week’
October 14th, 2023
“School meals are a lifeline for the 1 in 6 kids in our state living with hunger. And for parents struggling to make ends meet, school meals can help stretch the monthly budget.”
The Patch: Ossining School District Announces Updates to School Meal Program
October 10th, 2023
“According to No Kid Hungry NY, countless children across New York State miss out on breakfast and lunch due to financial constraints, despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for free meals set by federal poverty guidelines. However, the CEP program eliminates those barriers to participation, and ensures that every child can enjoy nutritious meals during their school day.”
“In May, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $134 million in the state budget for free school meals for all students at low-income public and private schools. The funding is intended to incentivize participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision program and will help offset costs that resumed after federal aid for free school meals for all students during the pandemic expired.
The funding will allow 550 more schools in 160 districts to offer free meals to students for the first time, according to No Kid Hungry.”
“Así lo advierte una reciente encuesta de la organización No Kid Hungry New York (Ningún niño con hambre en Nueva York), que dibuja un panorama todavía más preocupante en la comunidad latina, pues advierte que más neoyorquinos luchan para poner comida en la mesa cada día, como lo manifestó el 48% de los hispanos encuestados, es decir casi la mitad, que reportaron sufrir inseguridad alimentaria en los últimos 12 meses. En el caso de los blancos, la cifra fue del 35%.”
“This is thanks to a smart new federal policy that went into effect this summer. It changed the arcane rules governing how summer meals are provided to better support rural communities. Rather than mandating kids eat meals at a certain time at a specific location, in eligible communities, schools and local community groups can now provide meals in the ways they know work best – like we’re seeing in Falconer.
This was a policy No Kid Hungry has fought long and hard for, and it was a huge win for millions of kids and families. But sadly, the implementation of the current federal guidelines for this new option has still left out many kids in other communities like Falconer that sorely need this flexibility.”
“In a statement, Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, called the free meals program a “critical lifeline” for struggling families. The texting service also includes information about how to get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, which if eligible can provide families with additional monthly funds for food.”
“No Kid Hungry New York has announced $122,000 in new grants to help New York public schools in rural areas reach and provide more kids with free, nutritious meals all summer long. The new funding to organizations in the Finger Lakes, North Country, Western New York, Mohawk Valley, Hudson Valley and Capital Region will expand programs and overcome barriers that have kept families from accessing resources in summers past by providing grab-n-go meals, home-delivery meals, additional staffing and new meal sites.”
“In a recent survey, nearly 75% of New York families said it had become harder to afford groceries this past year, according to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign run by the nonprofit Share Our Strength.
‘With so many New Yorkers struggling to pay for food, we’re relieved the USDA has approved the State’s plan to provide P-EBT benefits to eligible families,’ said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry NY, in a statement.
“‘We’re proud to partner with school districts and community groups across the state to make it easy and seamless to find a free summer meals site close to home,’ Sabella said.”
“There’s an easier way for New York families in need to help feed their children this summer. The group No Kid Hungry has a national texting hotline that can be used to find free meals for the next few months.”
“When school lets out for summer, kids lose access to two healthy meals each day. The summer meals program ensures that they have the nutrition they need to return to school in the fall nourished and ready to learn.”
“A recent poll found 73% of New York families find it harder to afford groceries this year than in previous years.”