Five local food pantries to see funds from increased City Council budget

The City Council has more than doubled its funding for New York City food pantries, bringing the grand total to $4,000,000 for Fiscal Year 2017, versus last year’s $1,923,000.

The increase, according to Councilmember Mark Treyger, allows members of the Council to allocate more funds to food pantries in and around their respective districts.

“This is a strong response to a direct need,” said Treyger, who has already decided to use his means to help fund Reaching-Out Community Services (7708 New Utrecht Avenue), ACTS Community Development Corporation (2114 Mermaid Avenue), SBH Community Service Network (425 Kings Highway), Salt and Sea Mission Church (2417 Stillwell Avenue) and Our Lady of Grace Parish (2322 East Fourth Street). “Our city’s food pantries provide invaluable assistance to New York’s most vulnerable populations, particularly during the holiday season, yet recent reports have delineated the struggles our city’s food pantries are facing.”

According to a recent report from Food Bank NYC, 49 percent of the city’s food pantries reported completely running out of food supply this past September.

The allocation was fought for by the Brooklyn Delegation, which Treyger co-chairs alongside Councilmember Darlene Mealy.

“The food pantry initiative is a lifeline to our organization because we are being challenged on a funding level to a point where it is becoming damaging to our existence,” said Thomas Neve of Reaching-Out. “I am very appreciative of the efforts from Council Member Treyger and the rest of the City Council because the hunger issue is increasing on a dramatic level. I’m glad they are concentrating on this vital necessity.”

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