Hunger in New York City

Sadly, the need for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger is greater than ever, with the city facing an increasing crisis of poverty and hunger. This year, an average of 1.5 million New York City residents, 1 in 4 of which are children, live in households facing food insecurity, according to federal statistics calculated by the Coalition.

In the Coalition's latest annual survey of hunger in New York City - the most comprehensive of its kind - New York City’s emergency food providers (food pantries, soup kitchens, and brown bag programs) reported a 20.8 percent increase in need for their services, with the fastest growth in demand from families with children. While this comes as no surprise, given that the demand at such agencies has been rising for years and has only been accelerated by the recession, this year's findings also show something new: a renewed potential to alleviate hunger through government action.