STATEMENT: No Kid Hungry NY Director Rachel Sabella on Passage of Restaurant Meals Program Bill

STATEMENT: No Kid Hungry NY Director Rachel Sabella on Passage of Restaurant Meals Program Bill

Contact: Johanna Elsemore, jelsemore@strength.org 

NEW YORK, NY: Last night, the New York State Assembly passed a bill (S64/A1524) that would establish a statewide Restaurant Meals Program as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in New York. This is a federal option available to all states through SNAP that allows homeless, disabled, and/or elderly residents who can’t prepare meals for themselves to use their SNAP benefits to purchase lower-cost hot or prepared food at approved restaurants and retailers statewide. The following is a statement from No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella:   

“The Restaurant Meals Program is a win-win for New York. At a time when we’ve seen rising food insecurity as a result of the devastating impact of COVID-19, establishing this program will help New Yorkers who often struggle the most to regularly access food – including seniors, the disabled and those experiencing homelessness. At the same time, the program can provide much needed economic support to restaurants and small businesses that have been hard hit during the pandemic, strengthening the local economy as our state continues to rebuild. 

“No Kid Hungry applauds the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate for recognizing the importance of SNAP in fighting food insecurity in the state and for taking this important action to allow the flexibility necessary to ensure the most vulnerable New Yorkers aren’t excluded from its benefits. Working together with programs like Summer Meals, Pandemic EBT and emergency food aid, the Restaurant Meals Program will make sure nutritious food is available to all New Yorkers.”