Find Food

Pantries, Markets, and Food Delivery

Resources for Food Providers

Find a distributor for your pantry, and more!

Recipes, Trainings, and Workshops

Learn to make healthful and affordable food.

Federal Food Programs

National Government Programs

 

https://map.thefoodpantries.org/

Welcome to TFP’s Food Connect Map. The map displays Food Pantries across New York State. The map is designed to align itself with the GPS coordinates of your PC.

https://www.capitalroots.org/veggie-mobile/

Fresh Produce for The Greater Capital Region

Capital Roots’ Veggie Mobile®, sponsored by CDPHP, is a mobile market that travels to inner-city neighborhoods throughout Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties. It’s been bringing a large variety of fresh, affordable and local produce  to residents with limited access to fresh food since 2007. Designed for energy efficiency, the box-truck runs on bio-diesel fuel and has been retro-fitted with solar panels, which power the market’s refrigerators.

The Veggie Mobile® operates year-round, five days a week. We make our produce available at wholesale cost and we happily accept cash, food stamps and Veggie Rx coupons. Our Veggie Mobile® team visits more than 30 locations, delivering fresh produce to the public, health and child-care centers, senior and low-income housing facilities. Find out when we’re visiting your neighborhood or listen for the lively music we play to announce our arrival.

https://www.cityharvest.org/food-map/

This map shows locations that are currently distributing food, free of charge, throughout NYC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Location sites include soup kitchens, food pantries, City Harvest Mobile Markets, City Harvest Community Partner Mobile Markets, Department of Education School Sites that are distributing grab-and-go meals, some restaurants that are offering free food distribution, and City Harvest Emergency Food Distribution Sites.

https://www.citymeals.org/

Citymeals on Wheels provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to our homebound elderly neighbors.

The Food Bank and Meals on Wheels are now FeedMore WNY.

We’ve come together to go further than plates and pantries. To put food on more tables. To provide companionship to more homebound neighbors. To inspire brighter futures for those who wish to provide for themselves. In 2020, our feeding programs have served more than 16 million meals to homebound neighbors and through our nearly 300 pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and other hunger-relief agencies throughout Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties.

our mission

FeedMore WNY’s mission is to offer dignity, hope and a brighter future by providing nutritious food, friendship and skills training to our Western New York neighbors in need.

our vision

FeedMore WNY believes that to solve hunger, we must acknowledge that the struggle against hunger, poverty, injustice, and hopelessness are one and the same. We envision a future in which all are treated with dignity, food access and equity are recognized as human rights, and every person is empowered to have hope and thrive.

our values

We are Helpful
We are Inclusive
We are Compassionate
We are Innovative
We are Dependable
We are Family

https://www.foodbanknyc.org/get-help/

Find the help you need, where you need it.

Search the map to find a soup kitchen, food pantry, senior center, or SNAP enrollment site near you. Find a free tax assistance site here. If you’re an individual looking to donate a small amount of food, the charities below will be happy to accept your donations. If you’re a food industry donor or have a large amount of food to give, learn more here.

https://www.foodbankst.org/find-food/

Search our list to find food near you.

The list below shows all distribution events for the month, in order by date. Click the <  > buttons to move to the next month’s schedule. Or click the “Calendar” tab above for another view.

Use the filters to list by County or specific program type, like Mobile Food Pantries, Pantry or Meal Site. Search by name for a specific location.

Call before you go: Program hours sometimes change. Holidays may affect these hours. We recommend calling the program directly to confirm hours and requirements.

When you visit a program you may receive food that is near or past the food container date. The foods are safe to eat.

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/contact/services/COVID-19FoodAssistance.shtml

GetFoodNYC: Free Food Locations

Get a map of food resources across the city:

  • Free food pantries
  • Grocery stores and farmer’s markets locations
  • Grab & go meals at NYC Schools, available for all children or adults in need..

https://www.justfood.org/food-access

Healthy Food Access

Many New York City citizens lack adequate access to affordable, safe, healthy food choices. At Just Food, we work diligently to enhance NYC community members’ access to fresh produce and advance toward a more just food system by leveraging our comprehensive network of CSAs, Community-Run Farmer’s Markets, and local farmers/producers.

Visit our Value Chain Map for a complete list of the CSA groups and Community-Run Farmer’s Markets in the Just Food network and to locate a site near you.

https://plentifulapp.com/

Plentiful is a free, easy-to-use reservation system for food pantries and the people they serve. Use Plentiful to find pantries and get the food you need, without waiting in line.

Plentiful is making it easy for hungry New Yorkers to locate pantries in their area using any smart phone to download the app or text, search and locate an emergency food provider, make a reservation, and easily pick up food at a scheduled time. This new technology is allowing pantries to better serve their clients, eliminating pen and paper tracking, providing instant communication with clients, helping decrease wait times from hours to minutes, and offering a communication tool for language barriers with the app being offered in nine different languages. Most importantly, Plentiful is helping New Yorkers access food with greater dignity. To date, Plentiful has reached more than 130,000 households in New York City—that’s about 25% of households that use emergency food services, and that number continues to grow.

https://www.rocklandhunger.org/find-food/

These are the current food pantries & meal programs in Rockland County NY.
To find one near you, enter your town or zip code in the SEARCH box below, to the right.
CALL FIRST to find out about special HOLIDAY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS & to determine eligibility and confirm hours of operation.

https://unconditionalfreedom.org

Free food is about restoring dignity, connecting us through preparing and enjoying a meal together

Free Food is about emptying what is full, and filling what is empty. We provide nourishing sit-down meals to those who could not otherwise afford them, bringing dignity to outcast populations and delivering love through food. At the same time, our meals provide the opportunity to empty out and serve for those who have more than they need.

Who We Serve

From people without homes, to the prison residents and officers, to those affected by natural disasters to neighbors who could use a little extra — our aim is to feed the hunger of the human heart.

We serve sit down meals where guests come and enjoy the deep nourishment of meals cooked with love and care and picked from our gardens, and get the experience of being served, which is typically only accessible to those with high incomes. We also distribute meals to those in homeless shelters, transitional homes, seniors, elderly, and anyone in need.

Where We Serve

We serve over 500 healthy and delicious meals a week to those in need in Philo, CA, Ukiah, CA and Harlem, NY. We also have pop up branches of Free Food in Palo Alto, CA and Los Angeles, CA.

Each location is unique, catering to the population and location we serve, and our focus on love and dignity extends through all we do.

Our Food

Our meals are prepared with the freshest ingredients from our farm and partners, and our chefs – ranging from world class culinary masters to friends who share our passion – come together weekly to cook and serve these meals. Chefs like Ed Brown, author of The Tassajara Bread Book, and Janelle Weaver, Chef at the Bewildered Pig in Philo, CA have been guest chefs for our meals, providing transformative culinary experience for a shelter meal.

https://www.thefoodpantries.org/home.html

The Food Pantries for the Capital District 

Together, we can do more! 

As a coalition of more than 65 food pantries in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties we are here to help those in our community who need a hand.  In these unprecedented times, The Food Pantries for the Capital District is working diligently to ensure that our local food pantries are prepared in the face of circumstances that are devastating to our most vulnerable community members.  You can help!

Community Food Assistance Network_CFAN (pdf)

CFAN: Community Food Assistance Network

The Community Food Assistance Network (CFAN) is a unified effort between The Food Pantries for the Capital District, member pantries, and basic needs services. The goal of CFAN is to establish a streamlined referral network that connects people to services. We achieve this by serving as an entry point for referral services and by directing food assistance equitably and efficiently to our community. The CFAN referral system functions to improve the client experience, quality of life, and assist with food security. CFAN also facilitates information sharing, coordinates collective impact activities between stakeholders, and provides a cohesive forum for resource sharing, tools, and support to reduce food insecurity in the Capital District and with partners statewide

NYS-CFAN:
New York State Community Food Assistance Network

The New York State Community Food Assistance Network (NYS-CFAN) is a unified effort of community-based food assistance providers and partners to reduce food insecurity in New York state. NYS-CFAN convenes stakeholders across sectors, coordinates collective impact activities, provides a forum for information sharing, and develops a robust network to increase capacity and nutritious food supply to direct food assistance equitably and efficiently to our communities. We are a chorus of friends, neighbors, families, an entire community, and the community-based food assistance providers who help make sure all New Yorkers have access with dignity to high-quality nutritional food.

https://www.cityharvest.org

City Harvest exists to end hunger in communities throughout New York City. We do this through food rescue and distribution, education, and other practical, innovative solutions.

City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.5 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. We will rescue 111 million pounds of food this year and deliver it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and other community partners across the five boroughs. Our programs help food-insecure New Yorkers access nutritious food that fits their needs and desires; increase our partners’ capacity; and strengthen the local food system, building a path to a food-secure future for all New Yorkers.

https://dutchessoutreach.org/

Dutchess Outreach has operated emergency food access and relief programs in Dutchess County for more than 46 years.

Dutchess Outreach acts as a catalyst for community revitalization and exists in Dutchess County as an advocate and provider of hunger and relief programs in order to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to fresh, healthy food, and the support they need.

Dutchess Outreach exists to widen community food security and food sovereignty, increase advocacy, and provide emergency relief by offering a range of vital programs for those in need to ensure that equitable physical and economic access to safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate, and sustainably grown food is available at all times across our community, regardless of income or zip code.

https://onlinesocialwork.vcu.edu/blog/food-access/

Virginia Commonwealth University has released this resource guide.

This guide provides detailed insights and resources on the following topics:
– Understanding the Causes of Food Insecurity
– A Look Into The Primary Causes Of Food Insecurity
– Overview of Food Security and Health
– How Social Workers Can Improve Food Security
– How to Expand Access to Food Assistance Programs
– And much more!

https://www.foodbankcny.org/

Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit organization working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education, and advocacy in cooperation with the community. We partner with 431 community partners in the counties of Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and St. Lawrence.

https://foodbankofhudsonvalley.org

The mission of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley is to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste. We work toward this mission by ensuring that all products available for donation reach the Food Bank and are distributed judiciously to our member agencies; by practicing responsible stewardship; and by actively participating in the community to increase awareness of hunger and poverty.

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley is a non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

https://www.foodbanknyc.org/

To end hunger by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity. Food Bank For New York City has been working to end food poverty in our five boroughs for over 36 years. As the city’s largest hunger-relief organization, we employ a multifaceted approach centered on helping low-income New Yorkers overcome their circumstances and achieve greater independence.

https://www.foodbankst.org/

Working together to build and sustain hunger-free communities throughout the Southern Tier.

The Food Bank of the Southern Tier is committed to creating a future without hunger where access to healthy food by all is recognized as fundamental to the well-being and success of individuals and the foundation of a strong, vibrant society

https://foodforall.com

Great food should be tasted, not wasted!

Enjoy delicious meals from hundreds of
restaurants and cafes for at least 50% off
with the Food for All app.

How it works

1. Choose

from restaurants and cafes that
have extra meals close to you

2. Reserve

and pay directly through the app

3. Pick Up

your meal at the specified pickup window,
usually 1 hour before restaurants close

Pay less

Meals are always at least
half the original price

Save more

Save time and money by
picking up quick, easy meals

Tastes better

Each bite contributes to a greener
planet with less food waste!

Our Mission

delicious meals from being wasted. We do that based on our 3 core values:

Help

… everyone to have access to quality, convenient meals.

Save

…our planet by reducing food waste, one of the main causes of climate change.

Eat

…delicious meals for a great price and a great cause!

https://freshfoodconnect.org/

We are tackling food insecurity by linking home gardeners with hunger relief organizations.

  • Our Mission

To grow a more local and resilient food system by connecting gardeners with their communities.

  • Our Story

 In 2016, a group of forward-thinkers came together to pilot a new idea that would become Fresh Food Connect. They asked the question: If gardeners had an easy avenue to participate in hunger relief efforts, would they?” The answer was resoundingly YES! Read more about our full story here.

  • Our Impact

As of December 2021, Fresh Food Connect partners with 58 hunger relief nonprofits, or “operators” in 20 states that engage over 2,000 gardeners by accepting donations of homegrown produce from 1,500+ zip codes and redistributing to community members experiencing food insecurity. Learn more by reading our most recent impact report here.

Fresh Food Connect licenses its technology to hunger relief organizations who use the mobile app to coordinate the aggregation of homegrown produce to be donated and used to create positive change in the local food system. Individual gardeners sign up on the Fresh Food Connect app to donate their backyard grown produce that would perhaps otherwise go to waste. Fresh Food Connect conveniently helps solve “the zucchini problem” by directing surplus produce from garden to hunger relief center, either through a pick-up or drop off model, depending on local operations.

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/contact/services/COVID-19FoodAssistance.shtml

GetFOOD NYC

Covid-19 Emergency Food Distribution

During the COVID-19 public health crisis, New York City is taking steps to make sure every New Yorker has access to the food they need.

https://hitesite.org/resource/2907

An organization providing individuals with referral letters from their social service agency with free canned goods.

Hours of Operation

Tues/Thurs: 10AM – 11:30AM

Services

  • Food pantry

Language Spoken

  • English
  • Spanish

Fees & Payment Policies

  • Offers FREE services

Additional Information

Mon-Wed: proof of identification is required
Thurs: referral letter and proof of identification are required

Individuals are asked to call ahead to verify if food is available the day of your intended visit. Food is distributed on a first come, first served basis. First time walk-ins without referrals may be provided services.

132 West 125th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10027

Main: (212) 666-7538

https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/

Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.

Meals on Wheels provides two main types of services — home delivered meals and congregate site meals. Factors like your age, overall health and finances influence if you qualify for delivered meals or have to travel to a congregate site.

OUR VISION

An America in which all seniors live nourished lives with independence and dignity.

OUR MISSION

To empower local community programs to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated.

FARMERS’ MARKET PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK STATE

https://agriculture.ny.gov/farmersmarkets

Supporting New York Farmers and Promoting Fresh, Healthy Food Statewide

In the past decade, the number of farmers’ markets in New York State has grown at a rapid rate, and new markets are created all the time. Today, New York has more than 400 farmers’ markets, 250 farm stands, and 10 mobile markets. The Department supports the state’s network of farmers’ markets through programs that expand sales, promote improved nutrition, and help increase consumption of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. These programs enhance the many important economic, educational, and social benefits that farmers’ markets bring to their communities, like offering a marketplace for farmers to sell their products and providing healthy, local foods to consumers.

https://projecthospitality.org

We are an interfaith effort, committed to serving the needs of hungry and homeless people. We serve people with special needs — people living with HIV and AIDS, people using substances, people living with mental illness — with an array of on-site professional services. We offer a comprehensive continuum of compassionate care that begins with street outreach, shelter, and soup kitchen and food pantry, and extends to treatment, other clinical and support services, and transitional and permanent supportive housing.

Please feel the warmth of our welcome. Visit with us and learn about the work we do.

If you have any suggestions, please share them with us.   If you have need, perhaps we can help.   If you have something to contribute, please be generous.

Our Mission

It is the mission of Project Hospitality, Inc. to reach out to community members who are hungry, homeless or otherwise in need in order to work with them to achieve their self-sufficiency — thereby enhancing the quality of life for our community. Project Hospitality seeks to realize its mission both by advocating for those in need and by establishing a comprehensive continuum of care that begins with the provision of food, clothing and shelter and extends to other services which include health care, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, HIV care, education, vocational training, legal assistance, and transitional and permanent housing.

https://regionalfoodbank.net/

The Regional Food Bank has been helping to feed the poor and hungry in our communities since 1982. It is the only organization of its kind in northeastern New York. The Food Bank collects large donations of food from the food industry and distributes it to charitable agencies serving hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties. From Plattsburgh to Newburgh, in urban, rural, and suburban communities, the Food Bank provides over 55 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 agencies. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks.

https://www.rocklandhunger.org/

Rockland Community Against Hunger

is a collaboration of food pantries, meal programs and County agencies working together to do everything we can to make sure no one in Rockland County goes hungry.

Founded in 2011, Rockland Community Against Hunger, RCAH, is a collaborative of non-profits and government agencies working together to provide food to over 40 food pantries & meal programs in Rockland County, NY.

Since the pandemic, the RCAH Collaborative has recovered and distributed over 1.2 million pounds of good, nutritious food!

https://stvincentalbany.org/food-pantry

Located at 984 Madison Avenue at the St. Vincent’s Parish Center.  Our Food Pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM.  We are closed on holidays.

Who Do We Serve?
Food Pantry Guests must live in the Pine Hills or Eagle Point neighborhoods. If you are not sure if you live in our catchment area please contact the Food Pantry at 518-694-3153.

How Do I Sign-up?
Come to the Food Pantry on a day we are open.  Please bring a piece of current mail and identification with date of birth for all members of your household.

https://cookingmatters.org/recipe-finder/

Cooking Matters is helping end childhood hunger by inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. Our programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals.

https://www.culinarynutritioncollaborative.com/

Who We Are

There is a growing need in our field for expertise on educating the public about nutrition through food and cooking — and not just the nutrients the food contains. Taste is integral.

At the Culinary Nutrition Collaborative, we provide practical tips and tools to integrate nutrition science with innovative culinary technique. This is our vision for the future of nutrition in the kitchen!

What We Do

With over 10 years of combined experience in clinical and culinary nutrition, we provide a unique continuing education platform for fellow RDs and healthcare professionals as well as a variety of value added consulting services for retail brands, food service, corporate wellness, fellow health professionals, and more.

https://www.farmschoolnyc.org

Urban agriculture education rooted in BIPOC land stewardship.

Mission:

Our mission is to train NYC residents in urban agriculture, in order to build self-reliant communities and inspire positive local action around food access and social, economic, and racial justice issues.

Vision and Values:

We train new experts in the fields of sustainable agriculture and urban agriculture, and center BIPOC in our programs. This is because racial and cultural diversity and diversity of life experience of teachers and students are essential–NYC Urban Agriculture depends on this diversity for its success.

Social justice is at the core of Farm School NYC structure and curriculum, which is why we:

  • Serve as a resource and support for NYC food growers

  • Increase urban food production and access

  • Encourage cities to recognize and support urban agriculture

  • Train people for “green jobs” in urban agriculture

  • Advocate for the creation of green jobs

  • Provide courses that are financially accessible to all

  • Support partner organizations, teachers, community leaders, host sites and students

https://www.facebook.com/HappyHealthyLatina

DAILY TIPS ON INSTAGRAM: HAPPYHEALTHYLATINA. Natural foods Chef. Holistic Health Coach. Food Alchemist: Recipes & Tips. Community Chef Just Foods NYC

https://jsyfruitveggies.org

Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables is a nutrition education initiative designed to prevent overweight/obesity and reduce long term chronic disease risks through the promotion of increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

Using nutrition education workshops and food demonstrations, JSY works to ensure low-income families in New York eat nutritious foods, make the most of their food budgets, prepare foods in a safe manner, increase physical activity and drink healthier beverages. Each workshop provides practical nutrition information using USDA approved lesson plans, cooking demonstrations and recipes using fruits and vegetables.

https://www.cabinets.com/kids-in-the-kitchen-guide-to-teaching-kids-to-cook

Teaching your children to cook not only exposes them to a fun hobby they can enjoy but exposes them to a skill they’ll utilize for the rest of their lives. With this in mind, cabinets.com created a kitchen safety guide for parents teaching their kids how to cook. Our guide includes different age-appropriate cooking activities, how to keep your kitchen safe for young cooks, and kid-friendly recipes to try out.

https://www.laylita.com/recipes/

Recipes inspired mainly by traditional Ecuadorian dishes

Layla Pujol is an Ecuadorian modern-day nomad who loves to cook and travel. She currently lives in Europe, previously in the US, and is currently working on her first cookbook, which will focus on delicious Ecuadorian and Latin recipes (adapted to her style).

“My name is Layla Pujol, my family and friends call me Laylita. I was born in Vilcabamba, Ecuador and currently live in Luxembourg. I spent several years in the US, both in Austin and in Seattle, and our family recently moved to Europe. My recipes are inspired mainly by traditional Ecuadorian dishes that I grew up eating in Ecuador. However, my love of food – and therefore the recipes posted here – go beyond Ecuador and include anything from Latin America, my mom’s spicy New Mexican cooking, my grandmother’s homemade Southwestern dishes and Texas style BBQ, my husband’s (and his family’s) delicious French food, new dishes introduced by my amazing group of international friends, and of course the great variety of seafood, vegetables and fruits available in the Pacific Northwest.”

https://www.leahspantry.org/product-category/cookbooks/downloadable/

In 2013, we gathered a group of African American women in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego to help us craft healthy and delicious recipes for the California Department of Public Health. We had so much fun that we found funding to develop a cookbook for people without access to full kitchens. In 2015, we worked with Iraqi and African community cooks to bring their flavors to a broader audience and integrate local produce into traditional recipes. In 2017, we worked with groups in California and Hawaii to develop recipes inspired by cuisines from Native American, Hawaiian, and other Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Leah’s Pantry is a California-based nonprofit committed to a vision of all people being nourished, regardless of socioeconomic status.  Our programs and products are designed to ensure all people have access to healthy food and feel competent preparing easy, nutritious meals for themselves and their families.  We approach our work through the lens of trauma and resilience, and believe that positive, nourishing food experiences can heal individuals, encourage healthy community norms, promote nutritional security, and support the realignment of broken food systems in low-income communities.

https://wellness.sfsu.edu/nutritionvideos

Preparing meals and snacks at home is an easy way to save money on food. It can also make it easier to include more nutritious foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean protein, which support a healthy body and mind. Follow along with HPW staff and student assistants as we show you how to prepare some of our favorite recipes step by step! Then, check out our healthy recipes page for more simple and budget-friendly recipes options that you can try on your own.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2YLkwu3YENq7mhpUVcHSDZRY09xy0vuT

Cooking and nutrition videos from the United Way of NYC Community Chefs.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBccton6gOdrIKFFh-M9mf8VkPEV2ZVr_

Start Simple with MyPlate

The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite. Small changes matter. Start Simple with MyPlate.

A healthy eating routine is important at every stage of life and can have positive effects that add up over time. It’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy and fortified soy alternatives. When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients. Make every bite count.

https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/shopping-cooking-and-meal-planning/recipe-collection

Cook up something new in your kitchen with these collections of healthy, delicious recipes. Find more recipes on Nutrition.gov’s searchable Recipes page!

https://www.211.org/

211 is a hotline phone number that connects you directly to the resources you need and qualify for. The United Way supports this program and focuses on helping you find organizations that help with moving costs or other low-income moving assistance programs.

Qualifications:

Anyone can call 211 or use their website toll-free and with confidentiality. However, your area’s support services will have a range of qualifications, which your 211 hotline operator can help you evaluate.

How to apply:

Your 211 trained operator will help you get the contact information for local agencies or links to applications for resources, including those who help with one-time emergency grants and moving assistance in particular.

211.org contact info: 

Call 211 or visit 211.org.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. CACFP also provides reimbursements for meals served to children and youth participating in afterschool care programs, children residing in emergency shelters, and adults over the age of 60 or living with a disability and enrolled in day care facilities. CACFP contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children and adults in the United States.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/community-services-block-grant-csbg

Community Development Block Grants Through Community Action Agencies

The Office of Community Services, part of the Administration for Children & Families, administers millions of dollars annually in Community Development Block Grants. If you need help with moving expenses, you may be eligible to have a portion of your first month’s rent paid through a local Community Action Agency. Some CAAs have a variety of assistance available, so consider reaching out to one near you.

Qualifications:

 The individual CAA organization has different priorities for the money they receive in CDBG grants, but if they have a way to help with moving expenses, you’ll need to demonstrate that your family has a low income and that you cannot afford moving costs.

How to apply:

 In many CAA organizations, you’ll have an assessment appointment, where Supportive Services will evaluate what you’re eligible to receive. You’d want to bring any documentation of your income, such as pay stubs, as well as anything else your contact at the CAA suggests.

Community Action Agency contact info:

 Visit Find a CAP to find the agency closest to you; they may list an email or phone number as the best way to get in touch.

While not a direct grant, one important resource when you’re looking for moving assistance for low-income families is the IRS Moving Expenses Deduction. While the deduction is currently suspended until 2025 for non-military families, this can be an important benefit for military movers. Deducting these expenses from your income means you won’t pay taxes on them, reducing your overall tax burden and saving you money.

Qualifications:

Anyone in the military who spends on their move (whether it’s the costs associated with temporary lodging, professional movers, or storage facilities) may qualify for these deductions. After 2025, this deduction may be reinstated for other taxpayers (not just military) in the future.

How to apply:

 Keep track of all moving expenses and save receipts whenever possible. Claim the allowed expenses on your federal tax return, and you don’t have to file any special forms. Make sure to keep all of your receipts.

IRS contact info:

Form 3903 offers information on what expenses count as moving expenses so you can get the maximum deduction and savings.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

https://www.fema.gov/

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) administers funding through the Federal Relocation Assistance Program. If you’re looking for help with moving costs because your home was affected by a natural disaster, this program offers resources for you. Beyond just moving assistance, this program could help you with home repairs or temporary housing.

Qualifications:

Your housing must be damaged in a natural disaster to the point where you cannot live there. Case-by-case home inspections determine which funding resources you’re eligible for.

How to apply:

You can access the application at DisasterAssistance.gov. On the application, you must explain what natural disaster happened and the resulting damage. For immediate assistance, they recommend calling 911 in an emergency. The FEMA mobile app helps you locate temporary emergency shelters in cases of displacement from your home.

Relocation Assistance Program contact info:

 Visit FEMA’s Individual Disaster Assistance hub or call the FEMA Help Line at 1-800-621-3362.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/school-breakfast-program

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides reimbursement to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The Food and Nutrition Service administers the SBP at the federal level. State education agencies administer the SBP at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the program in schools.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

https://otda.ny.gov/programs/snap/

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) issues electronic benefits that can be used like cash to purchase food. SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled and others feed their families. Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income and other factors.

https://www.usda.gov

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

We have a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation’s natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

Support and Advocacy

Broader Support Services working to end the root causes of hunger

Grants and Funding Resources

State and other sources of grants and funding

Research and Reports

Find the latest statistics and studies about hunger and the disenfranchised.

Recommended Books, Guides and Blogs

Find out more about the history of hunger and the struggle to end it.

Veterans and Military Families

Federal, National and Local Resources

https://350brooklyn.org

350Brooklyn strives to counter the climate crisis through local action. We work toward a world that is just, equitable, and sustainable and where all beings can thrive.

Our Principles:

1. LOCAL   

350Brooklyn focuses on local issues and local responses to wider issues. We respond to the concerns of Brooklyn communities, and we build Brooklynites’ power to fight the climate crisis and move toward a more just society.

2. A JUST TRANSITION   

350Brooklyn is committed to a just transition to a fair and sustainable society. To be just, the transition must be guided by communities historically burdened by environmental injustice and center the needs of displaced workers and under-resourced communities.

3. ANTI-RACIST & INCLUSIVE

350Brooklyn is committed to principles of anti-racism and inclusiveness. We recognize that there is no liberation from the exploitation of the Earth without an end to the exploitation of human beings by one another.

4. GRASSROOTS

350Brooklyn is a grassroots organization, built on the power of ordinary people working together. We strive to be as democratic as possible, sharing decision-making and open to ideas from many sources.

5. SATISFYING WORK

350Brooklyn works to create opportunities for each person to pursue satisfying work in confronting the climate crisis. We recognize that people do this work amid many other obligations, and we strive to help everyone use their skills and their time in ways that are meaningful and effective. As a volunteer-powered organization we trust in each other’s sincerity and good faith.

https://www.affordablehealthinsurance.com/medicare-plans/new-york/

https://farmland.org

American Farmland Trust’s mission is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land

  • We pursue our mission strategically, through multiple paths:
  • Our national programs target critical lever points where AFT is poised to make a real impact.
  • Our state and regional programming keeps us grounded in agriculture’s realities, while allowing us to test new concepts and replicable models.
  • Our work as the only agricultural land trust with a national scope enables us to take on projects that other groups cannot.
  • Our Farm Legacy program enables farmers and ranchers to donate properties that they know will be stewarded wisely.
  • Our leadership of the National Agricultural Land Network provides critical services to states and other land trusts.
  • Our research division maintains the nation’s best land-cover data, evaluates conservation outcomes, and studies farmer demographics.
  • Our Farmland Information Center maintains the preeminent database of the conservation agriculture movement and provides technical assistance not found elsewhere.
  • Our historically strong policy work advances federal and state-based initiatives that are essential for our future.

AFT New England Director Nathan L’Etoile participates in a press conference held by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree at Maine’s Bumbleroot Farm on April 18, 2019. Credit: Matthew Whalen Photography

We do this work in service to our nation’s farmers and ranchers, often partnering with other farm groups, conservation groups, or academic institutions.

We understand the land, the science, and most importantly, the people.

We are trusted by both farmers and environmentalists. We have traditionally served as a convener and go-between, because we know both agriculture and the environment.

We bring solid research and objective information to policy discussions. In so doing, we have earned the respect of policymakers of all political stripes.

https://nursinglicensemap.com/resources/anti-racism-in-healthcare/

Anti-Racism Resources for Students and Professionals in Healthcare

For health providers, “not being racist” is simply not enough to counter the history of mistreatment and discrimination in healthcare that has disadvantaged communities of color for centuries. Taking daily, concrete steps to eliminate racial disparities in healthcare is critical—in their communities and nationally. Through the following resources, health professionals and students can learn more about anti-racism and equip themselves to eliminate inequities wherever they see them.

Explore the following sections on the Nursing License Map site:
The Cycle of Racism as a Moving Walkway
Institutional Racism in Healthcare
Combating Racism in Healthcare
List of Anti-Racism Healthcare Resources

https://broomecouncil.net/chow/

The Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW®) is a network of food pantries located in Broome County with the goal of making emergency food available to people requiring short-term assistance.

https://cdalf.org

The Capital District Area Labor Federation (CDALF), AFL-CIO serves over 40 affiliated unions and roughly 120,000 members.

We are one of nearly 500 state and local labor councils of the AFL-CIO and are the heart of the labor movement. We are democratically elected bodies dedicated to represent the interests of working people at the state and local level. We mobilize our members and community partners to advocate for social and economic justice and we strive daily to vanquish oppression and make our communities better for all people—regardless of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin.

https://www.capitalroots.org/

Capital Roots works to reduce the impact of poor nutrition on public health in New York’s Capital Region by organizing community gardens, providing healthy food access, offering nutritional and horticultural education for all ages and coordinating urban greening programs.

The heart and history of Capital Roots is their Community Gardens. Founded in 1975 as a way to bring the benefits of growing your own food to Capital Region inner cities, they now operate over 55 gardens in 4 counties.

https://caresny.org/

We are a non-profit organization that empowers communities to end homelessness through community planning, program data, supportive housing, and awareness-building.

Our Vision
All people have access to safe, affordable housing and the social supports to remain housed.

Our Mission
To collaborate with and support our communities towards the creation of systems that end and prevent homelessness.

https://www.cidny.org

CIDNY is a nonprofit organization founded in 1978. We are part of the Independent Living Centers movement: a national network of grassroots and community-based organizations that enhance opportunities for all people with disabilities to direct their own lives.

CIDNY is Your Voice

CIDNY is the voice of people with disabilities in New York City. Our staff and Board include social workers, lawyers, and other highly qualified professionals, most of whom are people with disabilities. The staff all have a strong belief in self-determination and bring valuable life experiences and insights to their work. We are racially and ethnically diverse, with language capacity to assist participants in American Sign Language, Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Edo, English, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Loma, Mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tibetan, Urdu, Uzbeki, and Yiddish.

CIDNY speaks for everyone who lives with a disability, whether it came at birth, by injury, disease, or during the process of aging. Together, we educate the public. We advocate for our civil rights and a strong safety net of benefits and services. CIDNY makes sure that our voices are heard where and when issues affecting our lives are decided.

CIDNY Advocacy/Policy

Throughout our history, CIDNY has advised government officials on ways to make public services like transportation, health insurance, education, and entitlements work better. We monitor public and private initiatives that affect people with disabilities and offer constructive solutions to problems we see. CIDNY conducts an array of training and technical assistance activities to public officials, health care workers, and other service providers on disability awareness and disability-related issues. CIDNY also provides information and workshops for its consumers on everyday skills, such as searching for housing, budgeting, transportation, housekeeping, self-advocacy, and goals planning.

CIDNY’s Direct Services

CIDNY’s offices in Manhattan and Queens provide benefits counseling, independent living skills development, direct services (e.g., housing assistance, employment-related assistance, healthcare access, peer counseling, nursing home transition and diversion, and youth transition), information and referrals, and recreational activities. All our services are free.

https://www.chn.org

The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is an alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations.

The Coalition’s members include civil rights, religious, labor, and professional organizations, service providers and those concerned with the well being of children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

https://www.concernedforthehungry.org/

Helping to Provide Food to Families in Schenectady County

Concerned for the Hungry, Inc. is an entirely volunteer organization working to fight hunger in Schenectady County. CFH was started by a small group of individuals in 1979. It began with the realization that the need for emergency food was growing. After 42 years, CFH remains a leading force in providing essential food services and support throughout Schenectady County.

https://www.cvhaction.org

Our Mission

Community Voices Heard (CVH) is a member-led,  multi-racial organization principally comprised of women of color and low-income families in New York State. CVH tackles tough issues and builds power to secure racial, social and economic justice for all New Yorkers. Through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of direct democracy CVH is creating a truly equitable New York State.

Our Vision

We are working to build a society in which the systems that govern foster racial, social and economic justice not exploitation – particularly for low-income people of color. We seek a society in which all people – regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender expression, sexual identity, citizen status, primary language, and ability – are treated with mutual respect and when privileges of one group do not exist.

We seek a society in which all people are able to work with dignity, have access to a sustainable quality of life, and can obtain unconditional support in their time of need. We seek a society in which governmental structures are transparent and based on community needs. We seek a society in which policies address the needs of all people and strengthen our communities. We believe in a society where “experts” do not have all the answers but rather a society in which the people most directly affected are the ones making the decisions.

https://hungercenter.org

Founded in 1993 by a bipartisan group of Members of Congress, we are a global nonprofit organization dedicated to the principle that access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food is a basic human right. We develop, inspire, and connect leaders in the movement to end hunger, and advocate for public policies that will create a food secure world.

https://cubaculturalcenter.org

Cuba Cultural Center, Inc. offers a place of comfort and support for all. At the Center, we encourage families by providing for basic survival needs, offering assistance to those who have short term or permanent needs, and by advocating through policy and justice work.

Mission

The Center provides for the temporal, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people of Allegany and Cattaraugus counties, NY. We fulfill that mission by promoting the concerns of our clients and other community members, providing for a variety of needs, and empowering people to advocate on their own behalf.

https://dutchessoutreach.org/

Dutchess Outreach has operated emergency food access and relief programs in Dutchess County for more than 46 years.

Dutchess Outreach acts as a catalyst for community revitalization and exists in Dutchess County as an advocate and provider of hunger and relief programs in order to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to fresh, healthy food, and the support they need.

Dutchess Outreach exists to widen community food security and food sovereignty, increase advocacy, and provide emergency relief by offering a range of vital programs for those in need to ensure that equitable physical and economic access to safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate, and sustainably grown food is available at all times across our community, regardless of income or zip code.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/

The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

Together with individuals, charities, businesses and government we can end hunger.

https://www.focuschurches.net/

For more than 50 years, FOCUS has created a community called to be a collective voice – and a helping hand – for those in need.  FOCUS serves hungry bodies and souls through its feeding programs.  The Breakfast Club provides more than 18,000 meals year round and helps connect guests with much-needed services such as housing.  The Interfaith Food Pantry located at Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Food Pantry at First Church in Albany offer emergency food supplies to families and individuals.  And with each meal FOCUS serves a helping of hospitality.  ​FOCUS also gives voice to critical issues of hunger and homelessness and joins with other organizations to raise awareness of the impacts and needs of those living in poverty.

Our Mission: FOCUS IS SIX COVENANT CHURCHES, FOUR FAITH AFFILIATES, AND TWO FAITH PARTNERS, DOING TOGETHER WHAT WE CANNOT DO ALONE.  UNITED IN A COMMON CALLING TO RESPOND TO OUR NEIGHBOR’S NEEDS IN THE CITY OF ALBANY AND BEYOND, AS GOD’S SERVANT PEOPLE IN A BROKEN AND HURTING WORLD.  ​

https://frac.org/

FRAC improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions.

https://foodtank.com

VISION + MISSION

We’re building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. We aim to educate, inspire, advocate, and create change. We spotlight and support environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty and create networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change.

Food Tank highlights hope and success in agriculture. We feature innovative ideas that are already working on the ground, in cities, in kitchens, in fields and in laboratories. These innovations need more attention, more research, and ultimately more funding to be replicated and scaled-up. And that is where we need you. We all need to work together to find solutions that nourish ourselves and protect the planet.

Food Tank is a 501(c)3 non profit organization. All donations and membership dues are tax deductible.

https://www.grownyc.org/

Our mission is to improve New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

GrowNYC was originally created in 1970 as the Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC). Born out of the spirit of the first Earth Day, CENYC was initially a policy-based organization, writing comprehensive reports about quality of life issues like air quality, traffic, and noise. Our city has changed a lot since then and so have we. As the largest and most established environmental organization in NYC, we are proud to have played a pivotal role in helping New York City transform over the past five decades. Today 3 million New Yorkers each year participate in our programs.

We envision a New York in which every New Yorker can flourish. Every garden. Every school. Every street. Every neighborhood. Every borough.

https://www.otsegohunger.com/

Helping local food pantries address challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.hungerfreeamerica.org/en-us/

Hunger Free America is a nonpartisan, national nonprofit group working to enact the policies and programs needed to end domestic hunger and ensure that all Americans have sufficient access to nutritious food.

We are both a direct service and advocacy organization — with each component strengthening the other. As a direct service provider, we assist low-income families obtain aid from government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — formerly called the Food Stamp program — and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) so that people struggling to pay their bills have access to nutritious food.

We also connect families nationwide with private food resources. Because our staff works daily on the front lines of hunger, and because we empower low-income people to speak out on their own behalf, that makes us one of the nation’s most effective advocates for improved economic and public policies.

https://hungersolutionsny.org/

Hunger Solutions New York is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating hunger.

We are dedicated to alleviating hunger in New York.

We strive to maximize participation in, and support for, federally funded nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs, the Summer Food Service Program, WIC, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

https://interfaithallianceofnys.wordpress.com/

https://www.justfood.org/

At Just Food, we work passionately to shift the power, health, and wealth of historically marginalized communities that have been purposely divested from by developing community-driven solutions to inequities within the New York regional food system. We catalyze action and create change through our learner-centered trainings, annual conferences, and vibrant network of small- to mid-scale regional farmers.

https://www.laborreligion.org/

The Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State unites faith, labor, and community in a statewide movement for social, racial, and economic justice, grounded in our deeply held moral and democratic values.

We envision a New York in which:

  • All residents are guaranteed adequate food, housing, healthcare, and a safe environment

  • All New Yorkers have access to quality public education and living wage jobs, the right to organize in the workplace, and the right to equal pay for equal work

  • All have equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religious belief, country of origin, immigration status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Our Principles:

  • We seek to build a broad and diverse movement in New York State, crossing lines of race, religion, class, geography, and gender.

  • We frame and critique policy through our deeply held moral, spiritual, and political values.

  • We seek to lift up the voices of people directly affected by poverty, inequality, and unjust policies and build power among poor and working New Yorkers to assert and defend their rights.

  • We are non-partisan, promoting a morally grounded policy agenda, but not particular parties, candidates or elected officials.

https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/

Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.

Meals on Wheels provides two main types of services — home delivered meals and congregate site meals. Factors like your age, overall health and finances influence if you qualify for delivered meals or have to travel to a congregate site.

OUR VISION

An America in which all seniors live nourished lives with independence and dignity.

OUR MISSION

To empower local community programs to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated.

https://mvut.org/home

MVUT is a city-wide, membership organization fighting for the rights of housing tenants in Mount Vernon, NY.

MVUT organizes unorganized tenants within individual buildings to fight for increased services; a lessening of landlord harassment and more affordable rents.

MVUT provides intensive case management for tenants at risk of eviction. We assist tenants with administrative and/or judicial responses to local court actions. We mediate between landlords and tenants; help prepare repayment plans; assist in identifying and collecting resources (financial and other); prepare meritorious defenses; etc.

With more and more tenants paying excessive rents ($1,000-$1,500), MVUT has added a homebuying assistance component to our program delivery system.

With a tremendous growth in the number of Spanish-speaking residents (over 10% of population according to the 2000 Census), we have endeavored to make our programs available to them.

With a HUD “Continuum Of Care” grant, we now provide direct re-housing services.

Because of a pattern of abuse by staff at the District Office (DO) of the Dept. of Social Services (DSS), MVUT has been assisting clients in preparing Fair Hearings for Denial of Services and/or discontinuance of benefits for public assistance recipients.

https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/child-earned-payments.htm

The 2022–2023 New York State budget provides for one-time checks to eligible taxpayers for two separate payments:

  • one based on the Empire State child credit, and
  • one based on the earned income credit (or noncustodial parent earned income credit).

If you qualify for a payment for one or both credits, you don’t need to do anything; we will automatically calculate and send you one check that will include the total amount you’re entitled to.

We’ll begin to mail these checks in September 2022.

Am I eligible?

You are entitled to a payment if, for tax year 2021, you received:

You must also have filed your New York State income tax return (Form IT-201) by April 18, 2022, or had a valid extension of time to file.

If eligible, you will receive a check that includes any payment that is at least $25. By law, we cannot issue a payment if it is less than $25—even if your check amount would be $25 or greater when you add both payments together.

https://www.nyscommunityaction.org/

NYSCAA was created in 1987 to provide New York State Community Action Agencies with information, professional development, and technical assistance to enhance the capacity of agencies to serve as effective, responsive community resources.

OUR MISSION:

The New York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA) strengthens the capacity of the Community Action network to address the causes and conditions of poverty.

https://www.nyscoc.org/

We provide tools for community organizing and legislative actions for faith-based organizations.

New York State Council of Churches is comprised of eight partner Denominations which are detailed on our Member Denominations page. Each denomination sends representation to our Executive Committee and provides financial support. Other denominations which are members of the National Council of Churches may also have representation to the Council.

https://esd.ny.gov/ssbci

Over $500M in New Funding to Help New York Small Business Recovery

ESD Programs will Include Unprecedented Access to Capital for Loans, Equity and Technical Assistance for Small Businesses

On August 19, Governor Kathy Hochul announced New York State has been awarded $501.5 million in federal funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a program through the American Rescue Plan Act. Managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, SSBCI provides funds to support programs for small businesses, with a focus on recovery from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allowing traditionally disadvantaged small businesses the opportunity to succeed in the post-pandemic economy.

New York’s $501.5 million in SSBCI funding includes a main allocation of $377.1 million, as well as $124.4 million for socially and economically advantaged (SEDI) businesses.

Empire State Development will establish SSBCI-related programs — including new programs and expansion of existing programs — to include:

  • Access to capital
  • Loan guarantees
  • Loan participation
  • Collateral support
  • Seed venture funding
  • Funding for emerging and regional venture funds
  • Accelerator support
  • Technical assistance

https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org

In 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others called for a “revolution of values” in America. They sought to build a broad, fusion movement that could unite poor and impacted communities across the country. Their name was a direct cry from the underside of history: The Poor People’s Campaign.

Today, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has picked up this unfinished work. From Alaska to Arkansas, the Bronx to the border, people are coming together to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. We understand that as a nation we are at a critical juncture — that we need a movement that will shift the moral narrative, impact policies and elections at every level of government, and build lasting power for poor and impacted people.

https://projecthospitality.org

We are an interfaith effort, committed to serving the needs of hungry and homeless people. We serve people with special needs — people living with HIV and AIDS, people using substances, people living with mental illness — with an array of on-site professional services. We offer a comprehensive continuum of compassionate care that begins with street outreach, shelter, and soup kitchen and food pantry, and extends to treatment, other clinical and support services, and transitional and permanent supportive housing.

Please feel the warmth of our welcome. Visit with us and learn about the work we do.

If you have any suggestions, please share them with us.   If you have need, perhaps we can help.   If you have something to contribute, please be generous.

Our Mission

It is the mission of Project Hospitality, Inc. to reach out to community members who are hungry, homeless or otherwise in need in order to work with them to achieve their self-sufficiency — thereby enhancing the quality of life for our community. Project Hospitality seeks to realize its mission both by advocating for those in need and by establishing a comprehensive continuum of care that begins with the provision of food, clothing and shelter and extends to other services which include health care, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, HIV care, education, vocational training, legal assistance, and transitional and permanent housing.

https://www.retireguide.com

Our Mission

The mission of RetireGuide is to provide seniors with resources that will help them reach important financial decisions that affect their retirement. Our goal is to arm our readers with knowledge that will lead to a healthy and financially sound retirement.

https://www.sicm.us/

SiCM is a partnership of 50 congregations for ministries of social service and social justice. With financial support and volunteers from its members and others, SiCM serves thousands of high-need people each year. SiCM addresses public health needs such as food insecurity and nutrition education, racism and diversity concerns, and summer recreation through community collaborations and exceptional services and programs.

https://www.shareourstrength.org/

Share Our Strength’s mission is to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and abroad.

How do we do that? Through our campaigns, like No Kid Hungry, which will end childhood hunger in the United States, and Cooking Matters, which helps low-income families learn to shop and cook healthier.

It’s a big job, but we’re not alone. We believe that everyone has a strength to share to help ensure every individual can live a healthy and productive life.

In our work, the team at Share Our Strength believes in some specific values. We strive to be bold; we have a clear mission and ambitious goals. We believe everyone has a strength to share and we try to mobilize people. We demand a diversity of ideas, people and communities, which leads to stronger solutions. We believe in always being inventive – trying new things and challenging the status quo. Last but not least, we value doing good work and have a good time while we’re at it.

https://www.soulfirefarm.org

We use Afro-indigenous agroforestry, silvopasture, wildcrafting, polyculture, and spiritual farming practices to regenerate 80 acres of mountainside land, producing fruits, plant medicine, pasture-raised livestock, honey, mushrooms, vegetables, and preserves for community provisioning, with the majority of the harvest provided to people living under food apartheid and targeted by state violence. Our ancestral farming practices increase topsoil depth, sequester soil carbon, and increase biodiversity. The buildings on the farm are hand-constructed, using local wood, adobe, straw bales, solar heat, and reclaimed materials.

Through our “Afro-Indigenous Farming” immersion and workshops we annually equip hundreds of adults and youth with the land-based skills needed to reclaim leadership as farmers and food justice organizers in their communities, to heal their relationship with earth, and to imagine bolder futures. Using land as a tool to heal from racial trauma, we work to reverse the dangerously low percentage of farms being owned and operated by people of color and increase the leadership of people of color in the food justice movement. Our graduates receive ongoing mentorship to access resources, land, and training and are invited to join our speakers collective so they can amplify their voice in the food system.

We are mobilizing the public to create a racially just food system. We collaborate with regional and national food justice networks to advance reparations, establish action platforms, and work on campaigns for farmer survival and dignity. Each year, we inspire thousands of community members though speaking at conferences, publishing articles/book chapters, and facilitating workshops for activists to share tangible methods for dismantling racism in the food system and increasing community food sovereignty. We also host on-farm educational and community-building events for hundreds of participants and organize with our sibling farms in Haiti and Puerto Rico.

Striving for Peace & Justice through service to one another.

The Peace & Justice Committee provides leadership on social justice issues and needs through:

  • Educating our community to the social teachings of the church.
  • Analyzing issues for their social and moral dimensions.
  • Engaging our community to advocate for change that promotes justice in political, economic, and social arenas.
  • Providing for our community opportunities for direct service to persons in need on a local, national, and international level.

https://www.workerscny.org/en/home/

The Workers’ Center of Central New York is a grassroots organization focused on workplace and economic justice.

The Workers’ Center facilitates worker empowerment and leadership development through trainings related to workers’ rights and occupational health and safety, orchestrates campaigns to combat wage theft and to promote employer compliance with the law, and engages in organizing and coalition-building to push for policies that will increase wages and workplace standards and promote human rights.

http://www.trinityalliancealbany.org

Our Mission

“To provide services to the community that will support and promote healthy families, adults and children.  Our agency is dedicated to improving the neighborhood as a setting for family life, contributing to health and well-being, and promoting education and employment as a means of self-development.”

Our Vision

“Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region will be recognized for its influential and preeminent role in providing integrated service leadership to the community.  In doing so, Trinity Alliance will strive towards responsible growth, sustainability and becoming the community voice for improving quality of life.”

https://www.unitedwaygcr.org/

United Way of the Greater Capital Region (UWGCR) is a local organization that brings individuals and groups together in a community wide effort to help people.​

United, we fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in the Greater Capital Region. To drive positive change, UWGCR evaluates our community’s diverse needs, mobilizes the caring power of the community, and directs resources to the areas that will have the most positive impact.​

We’re on a mission to build a stronger more resilient Capital Region – a region where all children have the opportunity to learn and thrive, where families are financially secure, and where people can live their lives to the fullest because they have the good health to do so – today and for generations to come.​

Change doesn’t happen alone. With you by our side, United, we know we can make this vision a reality. ​

To live better, we must LIVE UNITED.

https://unitedwaynyc.org/

United Way of New York City (UWNYC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income New Yorkers make ends meet and lead self-sufficient lives. Working in the poorest communities we ensure that individuals and families are never one paycheck away from hunger or homelessness, that children can dare to dream and build a future for themselves, and that cross-sector partners can collaborate to provide the resources and infrastructure necessary to support community needs.

We believe that when all New Yorkers have a fair chance to succeed, our City succeeds too.

https://www.wscah.org/

West Side Campaign Against Hunger is on a mission to alleviate hunger by ensuring that all New Yorkers have access with dignity to a choice of healthy food and supportive services.

Food insecurity is pervasive in NYC, affecting people in every borough.

At WSCAH, we’ve pioneered a model that invites our customers to choose food from an array of healthy options. Fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy.

We believe that all people, regardless of income, should have access to the same quality options available in any supermarket, for free.

https://grantsgateway.ny.gov/IntelliGrants_NYSGG/module/nysgg/goportal.aspx?NavItem1=3

The Grants Gateway is New York State’s enterprise system for viewing grant opportunities and managing grant applications, grant contracts, and claims for payment online. The Grants Gateway also includes the State’s Prequalification application system, which allows nonprofit organizations to become prequalified to do business with New York State.

We have many resources available to assist users with the Grants Gateway. Please visit NYS Grants Management for online guidance, documentation, and training opportunities.

Grants Gateway Help Desk:
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: (518) 474-5595
Email: grantsgateway@its.ny.gov

https://farmland.org

American Farmland Trust’s mission is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land

  • We pursue our mission strategically, through multiple paths:
  • Our national programs target critical lever points where AFT is poised to make a real impact.
  • Our state and regional programming keeps us grounded in agriculture’s realities, while allowing us to test new concepts and replicable models.
  • Our work as the only agricultural land trust with a national scope enables us to take on projects that other groups cannot.
  • Our Farm Legacy program enables farmers and ranchers to donate properties that they know will be stewarded wisely.
  • Our leadership of the National Agricultural Land Network provides critical services to states and other land trusts.
  • Our research division maintains the nation’s best land-cover data, evaluates conservation outcomes, and studies farmer demographics.
  • Our Farmland Information Center maintains the preeminent database of the conservation agriculture movement and provides technical assistance not found elsewhere.
  • Our historically strong policy work advances federal and state-based initiatives that are essential for our future.
AFT New England Director Nathan L’Etoile participates in a press conference held by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree at Maine’s Bumbleroot Farm on April 18, 2019. Credit: Matthew Whalen Photography

We do this work in service to our nation’s farmers and ranchers, often partnering with other farm groups, conservation groups, or academic institutions.

We understand the land, the science, and most importantly, the people.

We are trusted by both farmers and environmentalists. We have traditionally served as a convener and go-between, because we know both agriculture and the environment.

We bring solid research and objective information to policy discussions. In so doing, we have earned the respect of policymakers of all political stripes.

https://www.cbpp.org

We are a nonpartisan research and policy institute. We pursue federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways. We apply our deep expertise in budget and tax issues and in programs and policies that help low-income people, in order to help inform debates and achieve better policy outcomes.

https://agriculture.ny.gov/council-hunger-and-food-policy

The New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy convenes to provide state policymakers with expertise on how to address hunger and improve access to healthy, locally-grown food for New York State residents.

The Council was established in 2016 to expand on New York State’s existing programs to provide food assistance for New Yorkers in need, and to establish a permanent focus on fighting hunger in the state. Chaired by Commissioner Ball, the Council works across various state agencies and sectors, identifying new policies and programs to improve access to healthy, locally grown food across New York State. It also helps to strengthen ties and cooperation between programs addressing hunger and those who produce and supply food. The Council consists of a diverse group of members who represent state and municipal agencies, academia, nonprofit organizations, and agricultural industries.

http://site.foodshare.org/site/PageServer?pagename=institute

The Institute serves as a resource for the charitable food system by providing strategies for holistic solutions to hunger.

The Institute develops innovative and evidence-based programs that promote health and long-term solutions to hunger. We research different approaches to identify what works. We provide trainings and services so that others can implement best practices within the charitable food network.

Over the next three years, the Institute will:

  • Increase access to healthy foods for vulnerable populations to reduce health disparities.
  • Address root causes of hunger to increase economic stability and self-sufficiency.
  • Identify best practices to reduce food insecurity through research and evaluation.
  • Promote a paradigm shift from charitable food as an emergency response, to a holistic, person-centered approach as a long-term solution to hunger.

We are pleased to work with food banks and community partners on a consulting basis, and we have flexible fee structures based on the type of trainings and programming you are interested in. We can work with you to develop a consulting plan and budget to meet your needs.

https://fiscalpolicy.org

The Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research, and education organization committed to improving public policies and private practices to better the economic and social conditions of all New Yorkers. Founded in 1991, FPI works to create a strong economy in which prosperity is broadly shared.

FPI is part of two consortia of state-level organizations throughout the U.S. – the State Priorities Partnership (SPP), coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), coordinated by the Economic Policy Institute.

https://frac.org/

FRAC improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions.

https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/

The Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center develops intersectoral, innovative and evidence-based solutions to prevent diet-related diseases and promote food security in New York City and other urban centers. The Center works with policy makers, community organizations, advocates and the public to create healthier, more sustainable food environments and to use food to promote community and economic development. Through interdisciplinary research, policy analysis, evaluation and education, we leverage the expertise and passion of the students, faculty and staff of Hunter College. The Center aims to make New York City a model for smart, fair food policy.

https://www.conference-board.org

Nonpartisan, nonprofit research and insights that help leaders address societal challenges.

https://www.unitedforalice.org

United For ALICE is a driver of innovation, shining a light on the challenges ALICE households face and seeking collaborative solutions. Through a standardized methodology that assesses the cost of living in every county, this project provides a comprehensive look at financial hardship across the United States.

https://www.shareourstrength.org/podcasts

A podcast series hosted by Billy Shore and Debbie Shore.

Food plays a central role in our lives — from our health and the health of the environment to a child’s educational achievement and opportunity — and yet, hunger is a daily reality for many. Every week, Billy Shore, founder and chairman of Share Our Strength, hosts “Add Passion and Stir,” a podcast exploring the role of food in our society. Subscribe to “Add Passion and Stir” and join us every Wednesday for conversations about food, justice and society.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1404007.Breadlines_Knee_Deep_In_Wheat

Breadlines Knee Deep In Wheat: Food Assistance In The Great Depression
by Janet Poppendieck
Hardcover
Originally Published January 1st 1986 by Rutgers University Press
Revised and Expanded April 2014 by University of California Press

At no time during the Great Depression was the contradiction between agriculture surplus and widespread hunger more wrenchingly graphic than in the government’s attempt to raise pork prices through the mass slaughter of millions of “unripe” little pigs. This contradiction was widely perceived as a “paradox.” In fact, as Janet Poppendieck makes clear in this newly expanded and updated volume, it was a normal, predictable working of an economic system rendered extreme by the Depression. The notion of paradox, however, captured the imagination of the public and policy makers, and it was to this definition of the problem that surplus commodities distribution programs in the Hoover and Roosevelt administrations were addressed.

This book explains in readable narrative how the New Deal food assistance effort, originally conceived as a relief measure for poor people, became a program designed to raise the incomes of commercial farmers. In a broader sense, the book explains how the New Deal years were formative for food assistance in subsequent administrations; it also examines the performance–or lack of performance–of subsequent in-kind relief programs.

Beginning with a brief survey of the history of the American farmer before the depression and the impact of the Depression on farmers, the author describes the development of Hoover assistance programs and the events at the end of that administration that shaped the “historical moment” seized by the early New Deal. Poppendieck goes on to analyze the food assistance policies and programs of the Roosevelt years, the particular series of events that culminated in the decision to purchase surplus agriculture products and distribute them to the poor, the institutionalization of this approach, the results achieved, and the interest groups formed. The book also looks at the takeover of food assistance by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its gradual adaptation for use as a tool in the maintenance of farm income. Utilizing a wide variety of official and unofficial sources, the author reveals with unusual clarity the evolution from a policy directly responsive to the poor to a policy serving mainly democratic needs.

https://www.bryant-terry.com/

Since 2015 Bryant has served as Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco where he creates public programming that celebrates the intersection of food, farming, health, activism, art, culture, and the African Diaspora.

Bryant Terry is a James Beard & NAACP Image Award-winning chef, educator, and author renowned for his activism to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. He is editor-in-chief of 4 Color Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House and Ten Speed Press, and he is co-principal and innovation director of Zenmi, a creative studio he founded. Since 2015 he has been the Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco where he creates public programming at the intersection of food, farming, health, activism, art, culture, and the African Diaspora. His sixth book, a collection of recipes, art, and stories, entitled Black Food was published by 4 Color Books/Ten Speed Press October 2021. It went on to be the most critically acclaimed American cookbook published that year landing on lists by The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Time Out, NPR, Los Angeles Times, Food52, Glamour, Vice, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and others. In regard to his work, Bryant’s mentor Alice Waters says, “Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege.” San Francisco Magazine included Bryant among 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene, and Fast Company named him one of 9 People Who Are Changing the Future of Food.

https://www.shareourstrength.org/foodjustice

The series from Share Our Strength examines the roots and evolution of the food movement and the ways it intersects with race and class, as well as with educational, environmental and health inequities.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54303464-ending-hunger

Ending Hunger: The Quest to Feed the World Without Destroying It
by Anthony Warner
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published January 12th 2021 by Oneworld Publications

Nutritionists tell you to eat more fish. Environmentalists tell you to eat less fish. Apparently they are both right. It’s the same thing with almonds, or quinoa, or a hundred other foods. But is it really incumbent on us as individuals to resolve this looming global catastrophe?

From plastic packaging to soil depletion to flatulent cows, we are bombarded with information about the perils of our food system. Drawing on years of experience within the food industry, Anthony Warner invites us to reconsider what we think we know. In Ending Hunger, he uncovers the parallels between eating locally and 1930s fascism, promotes the potential for good in genetic modification and dispels the assumption that population growth is at the heart of our planetary woes.

https://onlinesocialwork.vcu.edu/blog/food-access/

Virginia Commonwealth University has released this resource guide.

This guide provides detailed insights and resources on the following topics:
– Understanding the Causes of Food Insecurity
– A Look Into The Primary Causes Of Food Insecurity
– Overview of Food Security and Health
– How Social Workers Can Improve Food Security
– How to Expand Access to Food Assistance Programs
– And much more!

Available here

Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States
An Assessment of the Measure (2006)
Consensus Study Report

156 pages |6 x 9

National Research Council. 2006. Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An Assessment of the Measure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.https://doi.org/10.17226/11578.

Contributors

National Research Council; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Committee on National Statistics; Panel to Review the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Measurement of Food Insecurity and Hunger; Gooloo S. Wunderlich and Janet L. Norwood, Editors

Description

The United States is viewed by the world as a country with plenty of food, yet not all households in America are food secure, meaning access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. A proportion of the population experiences food insecurity at some time in a given year because of food deprivation and lack of access to food due to economic resource constraints. Still, food insecurity in the United States is not of the same intensity as in some developing countries. Since 1995 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has annually published statistics on the extent of food insecurity and food insecurity with hunger in U.S. households. These estimates are based on a survey measure developed by the U.S. Food Security Measurement Project, an ongoing collaboration among federal agencies, academic researchers, and private organizations.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qGVp7__TkXb5z_-V6C2cQ

Food Tank is a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. We aim to educate, inspire, advocate, and create change.

https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520269880/free-for-all

Free for All: Fixing School Food in America
By Janet Poppendieck
Paperback, 368 pg
Published January 10, 2011 by University of California Press

How did our children end up eating nachos, pizza, and Tater Tots for lunch? Taking us on an eye-opening journey into the nation’s school kitchens, this superbly researched book is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of school food in the United States. Janet Poppendieck explores the deep politics of food provision from multiple perspectives–history, policy, nutrition, environmental sustainability, taste, and more. How did we get into the absurd situation in which nutritionally regulated meals compete with fast food items and snack foods loaded with sugar, salt, and fat? What is the nutritional profile of the federal meals? How well are they reaching students who need them? Opening a window onto our culture as a whole, Poppendieck reveals the forces–the financial troubles of schools, the commercialization of childhood, the reliance on market models–that are determining how lunch is served. She concludes with a sweeping vision for change: fresh, healthy food for all children as a regular part of their school day.

https://goodfoodorgguide.com

The James Beard Foundation, Food Tank, and Valrhona, along with a prestigious advisory group of food system experts, developed the “Good Food Org Guide.”

This definitive Guide highlights nonprofit organizations that are doing exemplary work in the United States in the areas of food and agriculture, nutrition and health, hunger and obesity, and food justice.

Only nonprofit, scholarly, and municipal initiatives have been selected in order to spotlight efforts that are focused on community building and engagement, advocacy, and service.

https://heritageradionetwork.org/

Heritage Radio Network (HRN) is a nonprofit podcast network dedicated to creating a more equitable, sustainable, and delicious world by expanding the way eaters think about food. We do this through creative, educational reporting and storytelling. Founded in 2009 by Patrick Martins and inspired by the Slow Food Movement, since its inception HRN has been a platform for thought-provoking conversations about the real issues affecting the global food supply. There are many stories that never reach mainstream food media and that’s where HRN is different: our listeners hear from voices across the food chain– farmers, truckers, chefs, cheesemakers, cookbook authors, activists and more!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/620574.Janet_Poppendieck
Janet Poppendieckis
Professor emerita of sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York, a co-founder of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College and a senior fellow at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy

She is the author of:
Sweet Charity? Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement
Breadlines Knee Deep in Wheat: Food Assistance in the Great Depression
Free for All: Fixing School Food in America

http://tupress.temple.edu/book/0131

Ordinary Poverty: A Little Food and Cold Storage
by William DiFazio
Paperback, 220 pg
Published December 5, 2006 by Temple University Press

At St. John’s Bread and Life, a soup kitchen in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, over a thousand people line up for food five days a week. In this trenchant and groundbreaking work, author Bill DiFazio breathes life into the stories of the poor who have, in the wake of welfare reform and neoliberal retreats from the caring state, now become a permanent part of our everyday life. No longer is poverty a “war” to be won, as DiFazio laments. In a mixture of storytelling and analysis, DiFazio takes the reader through the years before and after welfare reform to show how poverty has become “ordinary,” a fact of life to millions of Americans and to the thousands of social workers, volunteers and everyday citizens who still think poverty ought to be eradicated. Arguing that only a true program of living wages, rather than permanent employment, is the solution to poverty, DiFazio also argues a case for a true poor people’s movement that links the interests of all social movements with the interests of ending poverty.

https://www.katiesmartin.com/newbook

Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger
by Katie S. Martin
280 pages
Published March 9, 2021 by Island Press

In the US, there is a wide-ranging network of at least 370 food banks, and more than 60,000 hunger-relief organizations such as food pantries and meal programs. These groups provide billions of meals a year to people in need. And yet hunger still affects one in nine Americans. What are we doing wrong?

In Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries, Katie Martin argues that if handing out more and more food was the answer, we would have solved the problem of hunger decades ago. Martin instead presents a new model for charitable food, one where success is measured not by pounds of food distributed but by lives changed. The key is to focus on the root causes of hunger. When we shift our attention to strategies that build empathy, equity, and political will, we can implement real solutions.

Martin shares those solutions in a warm, engaging style, with simple steps that anyone working or volunteering at a food bank or pantry can take today. Some are short-term strategies to create a more dignified experience for food pantry clients: providing client choice, where individuals select their own food, or redesigning a waiting room with better seating and a designated greeter. Some are longer-term: increasing the supply of healthy food, offering job training programs, or connecting clients to other social services. And some are big picture: joining the fight for living wages and a stronger social safety net.

These strategies are illustrated through inspiring success stories and backed up by scientific research. Throughout, readers will find a wealth of proven ideas to make their charitable food organizations more empathetic and more effective. As Martin writes, it takes more than food to end hunger. Picking up this insightful, lively book is a great first step.

https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/category/blog/

We’re on the road to end hunger, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Goal #2 of Zero Hunger. From the implementation of sustainable community development projects to our meal packaging program that harnesses the passion of local volunteers, we strive to make an impact on hunger by building resilience, self-sufficiency and empowerment in communities worldwide.

https://www.uocnyc.org/blog

There are many organizations that extend basic services to low-income New Yorkers, but the Urban Outreach Center strives in all that we do to be the premier location for the most vulnerable populations in New York City.

We believe our city and our neighborhoods thrive when we work collaboratively with low-income people, immigrants, and women – particularly women of color – to ensure access to material necessities for all, build supportive networks and relationships, and advocate for a more just, equitable, and inclusive New York City.

Since our founding in 1990, the UOCNYC continues to champion healthy food, clothing, hygiene essentials, and the breadth of social services necessary to support the full worth and dignity of all people.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/digital-nutrition-resources-kids

Team Nutrition is an initiative of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Our mission is to promote lifelong healthy food choices and physical activity by improving the nutrition practices of the USDA child nutrition programs. We work to provide resources to schools, child care settings, and summer meal sites that participate in these programs.

Team Nutrition supports the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program by providing training for school food service, nutrition education for children and families, and resources to support a healthier school environment.

Available here

Publisher: Penguin
Published on: Jun 21, 2016
Pages: 496
ISBN: 9781101608487
Language: English
Genres: History / Social History; History / United States / General; Social Science / Social Classes & Economic Disparity

The New York Times bestseller
A New York Times Notable and Critics’ Top Book of 2016
Longlisted for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction
One of NPR’s 10 Best Books Of 2016 Faced Tough Topics Head On
NPR’s Book Concierge Guide To 2016’s Great Reads
San Francisco Chronicle’s Best of 2016: 100 recommended books
A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2016
Globe & Mail 100 Best of 2016

“Formidable and truth-dealing . . . necessary.” —The New York Times

“This eye-opening investigation into our country’s entrenched social hierarchy is acutely relevant.” —O Magazine

In her groundbreaking  bestselling history of the class system in America, Nancy Isenberg upends history as we know it by taking on our comforting myths about equality and uncovering the crucial legacy of the ever-present, always embarrassing—if occasionally entertaining—poor white trash.

“When you turn an election into a three-ring circus, there’s always a chance that the dancing bear will win,” says Isenberg of the political climate surrounding Sarah Palin. And we recognize how right she is today. Yet the voters who boosted Trump all the way to the White House have been a permanent part of our American fabric, argues Isenberg.

The wretched and landless poor have existed from the time of the earliest British colonial settlement to today’s hillbillies. They were alternately known as “waste people,” “offals,” “rubbish,” “lazy lubbers,” and “crackers.” By the 1850s, the downtrodden included so-called “clay eaters” and “sandhillers,” known for prematurely aged children distinguished by their yellowish skin, ragged clothing, and listless minds.

Surveying political rhetoric and policy, popular literature and scientific theories over four hundred years, Isenberg upends assumptions about America’s supposedly class-free society––where liberty and hard work were meant to ensure real social mobility. Poor whites were central to the rise of the Republican Party in the early nineteenth century, and the Civil War itself was fought over class issues nearly as much as it was fought over slavery. Reconstruction pitted poor white trash against newly freed slaves, which factored in the rise of eugenics–-a widely popular movement embraced by Theodore Roosevelt that targeted poor whites for sterilization. These poor were at the heart of New Deal reforms and LBJ’s Great Society; they haunt us in reality TV shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty. Marginalized as a class, white trash have always been at or near the center of major political debates over the character of the American identity.
 
We acknowledge racial injustice as an ugly stain on our nation’s history. With Isenberg’s landmark book, we will have to face the truth about the enduring, malevolent nature of class as well.

https://www.legion.org/

To enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness. The American Legion’s vision statement is “The American Legion: Veterans Strengthening America.” The American Legion’s value principles are as follows:

A VETERAN IS A VETERAN – which means The American Legion embraces all current and former members of the military and endeavors to help them transition into their communities.

SELFLESS SERVICE – which means The American Legion celebrates all who contribute to something larger than themselves and inspires others to serve and strengthen America.

AMERICAN VALUES AND PATRIOTISM – which means The American Legion advocates for upholding and defending the United States Constitution, equal justice and opportunity for everyone and discrimination against no one, youth education, responsible citizenship and honoring military service by observing and participating in memorial events.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – which means The American Legion meets the unique needs of local communities.

ADVANCING THE VISION – which means The American Legion educates, mentors and leads new generations of Americans.

HONOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US – which means The American Legion pays perpetual respect for all past military sacrifices to ensure they are never forgotten by new generations.

The American Legion’s motto is “Veterans Strengthening America.”

https://amvets.org/

AMVETS (American Veterans) is the nation’s most inclusive Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, representing the interests of 20 million veterans. AMVETS is open to and fighting for all who honorably served in the United States military, including the Reserve and Guard. With more than 250,000 members nationwide, we are veterans serving veterans.

AMVETS Mission Statement: To enhance and safeguard the entitlements for all American Veterans who have served honorably and to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the communities where they live through leadership, advocacy and services.

AMVETS Charities participates in the Combined Federal Campaign through the Military, Veterans and Patriotic Services Organizations of America federation. Our Combined Federal Campaign number is 10519.

https://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/index.asp

Burial benefits available include a gravesite in any of our National cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker, or medallion, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Some Veterans may also be eligible for burial allowances. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains.

Burial benefits available for spouses and dependents buried in a national cemetery include burial with the Veteran, perpetual care, and the spouse or dependents name and date of birth and death will be inscribed on the Veteran’s headstone, at no cost to the family. Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried, even if they predecease the Veteran.

The Veterans family should make funeral or cremation arrangements with a funeral provider or cremation office. Any item or service obtained from a funeral home or cremation office will be at the family’s expense. The VA created Planning Your Legacy: VA Survivors and Burial Benefits Kit, to assist Veterans and their family members in pre-need planning and record storage

https://www.va.gov/health-care/family-caregiver-benefits/champva/

CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs) is administered by the VA and is available to the surviving spouse and dependent children of veterans whose death was caused by a service-connected condition.

To qualify, family members must not be eligible for TRICARE. Eligible family members include the surviving spouse, children and stepchildren under 18, and children under 23 attending school. Spousal eligibility ends if the surviving spouse remarries prior to the age of 55. CHAMPVA functions as secondary insurance and covers most medically necessary procedures.

https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility/burial-in-private-cemetery/

Learn about the burial benefits available to a Veteran buried in a private cemetery.

Memorial items

Is a Veteran buried in a private cemetery eligible for memorial items?

Yes. Veterans buried in a private cemetery may be eligible for these memorial items:

  • Headstone, marker, or medallion
  • Burial flag
  • Presidential Memorial Certificate

Learn about eligibility for a memorial item

Is a spouse or dependent child buried in a private cemetery eligible for memorial items?

No. A spouse or dependent child buried in a private cemetery isn’t eligible for VA memorial items. Only an eligible Veteran can receive a headstone, marker, or medallion for burial in a private cemetery.

Is a spouse or dependent child eligible for an inscription on the Veteran’s headstone or marker in a private cemetery?

Yes. If the spouse or dependent child is eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery (but isn’t buried there), we’ll pay for an inscription on the Veteran’s headstone or marker.

Learn about eligibility for burial in a national cemetery

To apply for an inscription

Add the inscription information in block 18 of the Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker (VA Form 40-1330). When you submit the form, please include documents that show the spouse or dependent relationship (like a marriage license or birth certificate).

Get VA Form 40-1330 to download

The type of inscription you can apply for depends on when the Veteran died.

https://www.mfan.org/topic/food-insecurity/

Combat Military Hunger

In 2019, 1 in 8 of our national survey respondents was experiencing food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the issue, causing that number to rise to 1 in 5, shown by results released in 2021. Now, our research released in 2022 shows that 1 in 6 military families are food insecure.

When families are unable to consistently afford or access adequate meals, they face a challenge known as food insecurity.

Too many military and veteran families are facing this challenge, skipping meals, making difficult choices between buying food or other essential items, and leaning on food pantries, churches, and family members for support when times are particularly tough.

The Military Family Advisory Network has been tracking the issues of food insecurity and hunger in the military community for years. Our research consistently shows that military families have been quietly struggling with food insecurity. In 2019, 1 in 8 of our national survey respondents was experiencing food insecurity. Data released in 2021 showed the number rose to 1 in 5 in some parts of the country, such as Washington state. The COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded the issue of food insecurity among military families and has lasting impacts. Our most recent research released in 2022 shows that 1 in 6 military families are food insecure.

We are committed to providing both big-picture solutions and immediate on-the-ground assistance to military families in need across the country — hosting food distribution events, connecting families with resources, and continuing our research.

MilMap: Connect to community & find support

Let’s connect with the organizations, programs, and events that help us all navigate military family life.

MilMap can help you find support for your military move, resources for kids, employment support, health and wellness information, crisis resources and much more.

https://www.cem.va.gov/military_funeral_honors.asp

“Honoring Those Who Served”

The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for providing military funeral honors. “Honoring Those Who Served” is the title of the DOD program for providing dignified military funeral honors to Veterans who have defended our nation.

Upon the family’s request, Public Law 106-65 requires that every eligible Veteran receive a military funeral honors ceremony, to include folding and presenting the United States burial flag and the playing of “Taps.” The law defines a military funeral honors detail as consisting of two or more uniformed military persons, with at least one being a member of the Veteran’s parent service of the armed forces.

The DOD program calls for funeral home directors to request military funeral honors on behalf of the Veteran’s family. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration cemetery staff can also assist with arranging military funeral honors at VA national cemeteries. Veterans organizations may also assist in providing military funeral honors.

The DOD began the implementation plan for providing military funeral honors for eligible Veterans on January 1, 2000.

Questions or comments concerning the DOD military funeral honors program* may be sent to the address listed below:

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
(Military Community and Family Policy)
4000 Defense Pentagon, Room 5A726
Washington, DC 20380-4000

 https://pva.org/

Paralyzed Veterans of America, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946, has developed a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of our members – veterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.

PVA will use that expertise to be the leading advocate for:

To enable Paralyzed Veterans to continue to honor this commitment, we must recruit and retain members who have the experience, energy, dedication, and passion necessary to manage the organization and ensure adequate resources to sustain the programs essential for Paralyzed Veterans of America to achieve its mission.

https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/Eligibility/Survivors

TRICARE is available to the spouse and dependent children of deceased veterans who were retired service members or on active duty at the time of death. This program is not administered by the VA but by DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service), a service offered by the U.S. Department of Defense. TRICARE offers multiple plans based on individual circumstances.

TRICARE continues to provide coverage for family members when a sponsor dies. Family member health plan options and costs will vary based on:

  • The sponsor’s military status when he/she dies
  • If the surviving family member is a spouse or child

The scenarios below provide an overview of survivor coverage. Spouses remain eligible unless they remarry.

https://www.va.gov/health-care/

U.S. veterans are entitled to health care benefits through the VA. Veterans have served their country with honor and dignity, and VA benefits are a way for the government to give back.

The VA offers a wide range of health care resources to help veterans and their families. These resources can assist veterans through nearly every stage of their post-service life. The services a veteran qualifies for will depend on their unique needs.

Health Care

  • Assisted living
  • Immunizations
  • Mental health services
  • Some dental care
  • Surgeries
  • Treatment of illnesses
  • Vision care (routine)
  • Appointments with regular doctor and specialists
  • Emergency care in both VA and non-VA hospitals (non-VA in some situations only)
The VA tailors the covered medical services to each veteran’s specific needs. Because of this, some veterans may still need to see non-VA health care providers depending on their coverage.

Specific Veteran’s Groups:

Center for Minority Veterans (CMV)

Center for Women Veterans (CWV)

https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/veterans

In producing this guide, it is not our intention to replicate the VA Guide to Long-Term Care. The VA website does an excellent job of describing the programs and types of assistance available to elderly veterans. Instead, our objective is to focus on veterans’ options to help with nonmedical care/aging care. The aim is to help veterans understand available benefits, uncover financial assistance opportunities, and provide ideas that can reduce the costs associated with long-term care – whether in a nursing home, assisted living community, or at home.

Be aware that not every option is available to every veteran. Some programs’ eligibility criteria specifically state that the recipient cannot be eligible to receive a different VA benefit simultaneously. It is also worth noting that the sources of funding described here are not limited to those offered by the VA. Also included is assistance from non-profit organizations intended specifically to help veterans.

compiled by for EcoWatch

Solar Programs for Veterans

There are a number of programs that advance the career opportunities for transitioning military service members and veterans in the growing solar industry.

Click here to see the list and corresponding article.

The Solar Industry and U.S. Veterans

The solar industry already harbors a large number of veterans; the 2020 National Jobs Census showed that the industry employs over 20,000 vets (which is 9% of all solar workers in the nation). This is more than the average national veteran employment rate of 6.6%.

This coincides with a period of huge potential growth for the budding solar industry, which is poised to reach 400,000 jobs by 2030. Veterans have the skills to make use of the opportunity clean energy brings. In addition to employment, working toward a cleaner future can offer great personal satisfaction for veterans accustomed to aligning with a greater purpose. Veterans also have a good understanding of the importance of energy for our national security. But there are still challenges.

Challenges U.S. Veterans Face

Studies show that a lack of preparation for finding civilian employment when leaving the military is a large contributor to veteran unemployment. This lack of preparation included things like unrealistic expectations for the kinds of job opportunities veterans qualify for; unrealistic expectations for salaries; veterans having a perception of having to “start over” as a civilian; and difficulty understanding how military experience translates to civilian employment.

Of the 20,000+ veterans in the solar workforce, the majority work in installation, manufacturing, or sales and distribution. Since many veterans joined the military straight out of high school, many lack the academic credentials for positions above entry-level and have to work their way up.

But veterans come equipped with highly valuable skills and intangibles that may not be reflected in a job application. These include:

  • Technical skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Ability to work with a team
  • Self-motivation
  • Discipline
  • Efficiency

https://www.va.gov/pension/eligibility/

The Veterans Pension program provides monthly payments to wartime Veterans who meet certain age or disability requirements, and who have income and net worth within certain limits. Find out if you’re eligible for this benefit.

https://myvision.org/guides/veterans-vision-care/

Services & Resources for Veterans With Eye Conditions

We all rely on our vision to help us handle everyday life. Many of the conditions that impact veterans cause severe vision loss, which can make reading, driving, and even working hard.

If your vision loss is significant, our guide may be helpful. Please visit the link above for a list of resources and services.

https://www.nvisioncenters.com/education/vision-care-guide-for-veterans/

NVISION has created an educational guide on veterans and vision care. This resource highlights VA coverage vision care, what it covers, common eye issues that veterans deal with, and more.

https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

WHO IS A WARRIOR?

Veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001. You are our focus. You are our mission.

Here, you’re not a member – you’re an alumnus, a valued part of a community that’s been where you’ve been, and understands what you need. Everything we offer is free because there’s no dollar value to finding recovery and no limit to what you can achieve.

More than 52,000 servicemen and women physically injured in recent military conflicts. 500,000 living with invisible wounds, from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. 320,000 experiencing debilitating brain trauma.

Advancements in technology and medicine save lives – but the quality of those lives might be profoundly altered.

The numbers speak for themselves, because not every warrior can. With the support of our community of donors and team members, we give a voice to those needs and empower our warriors to begin the journey to recovery.

https://bvsj.org/

History

On April 18th, 1979, a group of veterans from all branches of the military representing enlistees from WWII through Vietnam, came together to provide assistance to veterans with problems. Some immediate problems faced were racism and racist policies, little or poor medical  and rehabilitative services, unemployment, no re-entry preparation into society. Many soldiers leaving the military had a lack of knowledge of their rights or the agencies willing to help them.  Some veterans experienced  hostile social attitudes and a high percentage suffered from exposure to the lethal toxin “Agent Orange”, and continual readjustment obstacles.

B.V.S.J., Inc. has evolved since its humble beginnings into a community fixture. BVSJ employees understand that veterans and their families are also a community fixture. While a new generation of veterans has served this country, many have the same complications specifically getting quality medical care and treatment, high unemployment and inadequate services for soldiers re-entering into the civilian culture.  BVSJ Veteran services are always served with “tender loving care and a listening ear.

Mission and Values

We will provide program services to assist military personnel make a smooth transition from active duty to civilian life.  We are dedicated to servicing military personnel, veterans and their families in the areas of social readjustment, housing, employment, compensation, disability, substance abuse, medical treatment, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, family intervention, prison counseling and relocation into the community, legal advocacy, discharge up-grade and redress of grievances within and outside the military.

We will provide counseling, benefits information and “tender loving care and an listening ear“!

BVSJ believes:
All persons could be productive, positive contributions to society, no matter what sex, race, social class, military labels or problems may beset them;

All humans wish to do the right thing, but do not often get the opportunity;

Given a boost, a helping hand, all people, particularly veterans, would respond positively and productively.

https://www.family-to-family.org/help-a-hungry-veteran/

Help provide monthly groceries for a U.S. veteran living in poverty

American veterans face a tough array of challenges when they return from active service: poverty, hunger, physical and mental illnesses, drug abuse, chronic unemployment, homelessness.

Last year, over 40,000 veterans – many with disabilities – were identified as homeless nationwide, with 15,000 literally living on the streets, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs. And while veteran homelessness is down since 2010, too many of the men and women who’ve sacrificed to serve their country still struggle to rebuild their lives on their own.

Now, through our newly launched Sponsor A Veteran Program, you can make an immediate difference in the life of a specific veteran who is struggling in profound poverty.

How does it work?

Donors sign up online to sponsor an individual veteran in need. Your recurring, monthly donation of $36.50 (or $18.50 to share a sponsorship) will provide a week’s worth of groceries to the veteran we match you with.

Once you sign up, we’ll email you information about the veteran you are sponsoring, including their first name, age, birth date and basic military service details. (Scroll down to sign up.)

Want to do more?

You can also choose to package up and mail items your matched veteran might not otherwise have access to, such as warm winter outerwear, personal hygiene products, books or other reading materials. We’ll provide more information about these options when you sign up.

Or “Adopt the House” for a pizza party or a hot take-out meal! Your one-time $50 donation will allow us to provide 12 veterans living in group housing with pizza, or your $150 donation will provide them with a hot take-out meal.

Individual veterans in need are recommended to our program by Family Services of Westchester, in White Plains, NY, by Mental Health America of Dutchess County in Poughkeepsie, NY and by Westhab, Inc., in Yonkers, NY. Veterans recommended by Westhab are currently living in a group supportive housing facility, and veterans recommended by Family Services of Westchester and Mental Health America are living on their own. All struggle each month to cover their basic expenses.

https://freegrantsforveterans.org

Find Free grants for veterans in all 50 states and major cities

Our website provides comprehensive details on grants for veterans. We have been featured on va.gov, hunker magazine , idaho.gov, wi.gov, NationalDebtRelief , several educational institutions, and government websites. These grants are given away for free, and they could help low income veterans with bills, mortgage, rent, housing, college, and medications . Please note that grants are only given for veterans who can prove financial difficulties. Apply for multiple grants to ensure your needs are met.

We offer information on the following :
(1) grants for rent (2) housing assistance (3) help with bills (4) education grants (5) medical bills grants (6) business grants

https://www.islandharvest.org/veterans/

Island Harvest Food Bank has been leading hunger-relief on Long Island since 1992.

Founded in 1992, Island Harvest Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. We distribute fresh produce, meat, and non-perishables throughout Long Island and assist thousands of Long Islanders daily through our innovative programming and network of community partners.

Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization with a mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island.  We accomplish this through efficient food and product collection and distribution systems, enhanced hunger awareness and nutrition education programs, a Workforce Skills Development Institute, targeted services for specific populations, outreach activities and advocacy initiatives. Our work directly supports a wide network of community-based non-profit organizations, as well as individuals, veterans, families, and seniors directly who turn to us for support. Island Harvest is among the region’s foremost agencies in emergency response readiness for food, product, resource distribution and support, and is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Island Harvest is proud to earn consistent four-star ratings by Charity Navigator, an indication of quality in the non-profit sector.

This is a pivotal time in Island Harvest Food Bank’s 30-year history as our programs, services and community partnerships are growing exponentially, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March of 2021, we re-located our center of operations to Melville, New York, the culmination of five years of planning.  Contributors to our kNOw Hunger Capital Campaign brought to life a 46,000 square foot facility, virtually doubling both our warehouse and office space, to serve as our flagship headquarters, warehouse and distribution center.

https://www.islandharvest.org/veterans/

Long Island Cares understands the challenges faced by returning soldiers and their families as troops transition from the front lines to the home front. To help veterans from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties facing financial hardship and food insecurity as they assimilate back into civilian life, we offer several veterans’ service programs:

  • Military AppreciationTuesdays:  Hosted each week at Long Island Cares’ pantries located in Huntington Station, Bethpage, Hampton Bays, Lindenhurst, and Freeport, this is a chance for veterans and their families to access food, as well as personal care items, household products, pet food, and school supplies when available. All veterans are provided with information and resources pertaining to veteran-specific benefits. We are grateful to have BNY Mellon Wealth Management as the sponsor of this critical program.
  • Mobile Pantry: Delivers nutritious groceries to homebound, disabled veterans unable to access their local pantries.
  • VetsWork:  Assistance that can help veterans build job skills (i.e. cover letter and résumé writing), aid in their job search process, and facilitate real workplace experience through various volunteer and training opportunities.
  • Community Outreach Initiatives:  By collaborating with both the Nassau and Suffolk County Veterans Service Agencies and the Northport VA Hospital, we are able to support events such as Veteran Stand Downs which provide vital health and social services to veterans of all ages and circumstances. In addition, our services are made available to various community organizations providing counseling, homeless outreach, and emergency assistance to veterans in need.

For more information regarding our Veterans Project, please contact:

Michael Haynes, M.P.A., Chief Government Affairs Officer
631.582.3663 ext. 202
email: mhaynes@licares.org
twitter:  @LICGovtAffairs

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/veterans/services/food-assistance.page

The NYC Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) serves veterans facing food insecurity due to a financial emergency, as well as homebound veterans in need of food delivery services. DVS connects veterans to local food services and assistance programs in their community.

Connect to food assistance services by filling out the VetConnectNYC form and selecting “Food Assistance” as your preferred service.

Other services:
Emergency Food Assistance
Benefits Assistance
Delivery Services
Find a Food Bank
Food Assistance for Senior Veterans
FreshConnect Checks for Veterans, Service Members, and Immediate Family Members
Reports and Studies
Resources for Service Providers

https://veterans.ny.gov/

The New York State Division of Veterans’ Services is New York’s advocacy agency for all Veterans, Service Members, and their families. For over seven decades, the Division has connected generations of Veterans, Service Members, and their families and dependents to multiple economic, medical, and social benefits and services earned because of their military service. For more information on Veteran’s benefits, please make an appointment with a Veterans Benefits Advisor.

FreshConnect Checks For Veterans And Families:

In collaboration with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Veterans Benefits Advisors with the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services are offering FreshConnect checks to Active Duty members, veterans and their immediate family members, as well as un-remarried surviving spouses of veterans.

New York State employees who are veterans and their immediate family members are now eligible to receive FreshConnect checks. Recipients can use FreshConnect checks for fresh produce and other food items at participating farmers markets throughout New York State. Veterans Benefits Advisors distribute FreshConnect checks on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the state of New York.

The FreshConnect “season” generally begins in July and runs until December. Each recipient receives a booklet of FreshConnect checks worth a total of $20 at participating farmers’ markets and farm stands. Only one booklet of checks per household.

For more information, regarding farmers markets and finding the one nearest you, click here.

FreshConnect checks are available at most of our offices. To find your nearest Veterans Benefits Advisor, call 1.888.838.7697 (VETSNYS) or click here.