“Often when we think of hunger, we don’t think of it among our neighbors or families. There are so many in our community who cannot make ends meet – so many who are also afraid to access services because of the stigma associated with public assistance.”
– Tamara Dawson, Director of Programs at The Campaign Against Hunger
The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH) has spent almost twenty five years fighting hunger across New York City; they are constantly innovating and working to improve their impact, reach more community members, and increase food security.
In the past few years, TCAH has been able to expand its local food network partners to reach more vulnerable children – currently, it partners with over 200 organizations across New York City. However, this work has not been easy, especially with the hard tolls the pandemic and inflation have taken on our country and particularly on our low-income and food insecure communities. Despite an increase in food costs and a decrease in in-kind donations, TCAH remains committed to putting food on families’ tables and making sure that they are treated with respect and dignity.
To achieve this, TCAH has used a variety of tactics to reduce stigma and increase access to food and benefits programs. For example, using a No Kid Hungry grant, TCAH expanded its SNAP screening and enrollment program, hiring multilingual staff to help reach non-English speaking community members. TCAH has also piloted a program to allow clients to shop online and have their food delivered, easing clients’ time and transportation challenges and allowing them to access the food they need, when they need it.
The Campaign Against Hunger shows us that it truly takes a city to feed a city. From its food distribution, benefits access, and youth empowerment programs; to its 200+ partners providing weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly food distributions; down to the countless individuals donating, volunteering, and fighting stigma, each and one is key to making sure New Yorkers are fed and stay healthy. Tamara Dawson, TCAH’s Director of Programs, actively encourages her fellow New Yorkers to donate, volunteer, and advocate for policies that put food on the tables of kids and families in need. The food insecurity crisis in New York City is far from over, and so much of it currently flies under the radar – but when we step up and support our neighbors, we make our community and world stronger.
At No Kid Hungry New York, we thank Tamara and all the staff and volunteers at The Campaign Against Hunger for all they do to feed kids and their families with care. We are grateful to support their work.