Issue Position: Andrew's Platform on Food Insecurity

Issue Position

We are one of the richest cities in the world, and yet millions of New Yorkers are grappling with food insecurity. Before the COVID pandemic, about one million New Yorkers were dealing with food insecurity; Now, that number is estimated to have doubled. And even before the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 4 children were food insecure. This is unacceptable.

My efforts to address food insecurity in our city and in our neighborhood include:

Distributing more than 35,000 meals throughout the COVID-19 crisis by working with nonprofits and other community organizations to directly help those in need. Through our partnership with World Central Kitchen and IRC, we helped thousands of families get the meals and groceries they needed through the pandemic.

Fighting to fully fund our food pantries which are crucial to the distribution of healthy, fresh food to families in our neighborhoods.

Connecting New Yorkers with options and information to get free food and groceries if they are in need through our nonprofit partners and City, State and Federal benefits.

Fighting for free school meals to include Kosher and Halal options so that no child has to go hungry at school, regardless of background or socioeconomic status. I have introduced legislation that would enshrine this into law.

Fighting for free public college to ensure that students can both eat and get the higher education they need to succeed in life. A recent survey showed that a staggering 48% of CUNY students had been food insecure in the last month. If they didn't have to worry about the tuition and fees that continue to rise year after year, we could change that.

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