It’s tough out there for many New Yorkers today. The impact of tariff-related inflation is hitting everyone square in their pockets just about everywhere — especially at the grocery store checkout line.
Yet as tough as times are, it’s even tougher for those New Yorkers who are out of work, underemployed or underpaid, who are reliant upon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and charity just to put a meal on their families’ tables not just on Thanksgiving but on any given Thursday, or any day of the week.
The New York Health Foundation reported earlier this year that hunger in New York has reached its highest level in since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Roughly one in 10 New Yorkers statewide say they had not had enough food to eat in the past week, a situation known as food insecurity. Households with children have a 1.5 times higher rate of food insufficiency than other households.
The hunger problem is terrible in New York, but we are blessed to live in a city with generous people. Countless organizations have held food drives and donations to help feed struggling New Yorkers.
One such organization is Catholic Charities, which — at its Harlem outpost Tuesday — welcomed Gov. Kathy Hochul and Cardinal Timothy Dolan to its Thanksgiving food distribution program. For Cardinal Dolan, the mission is more than mere promotion — it’s a core tenet of his being and his faith.
It is also a recognition that behind every troubling report about hunger and inflation in the Big Apple are real people who dwell and work among us, and need help even when they might be too ashamed or proud to ask.
“It’s personal. People have a name,” he said. His eminence couldn’t be more right.
Our personal mission as New Yorkers this holiday season should be to help feed New Yorkers who cannot afford to put food on their families’ tables.
Groups like Catholic Charities, City Harvest, Citymeals on Wheels, Met Council and God’s Love We Deliver are in need of donations of your time and money this holiday season and beyond. They work hard every day to feed the hungry. Their acts of generosity are appreciated by tens of thousands of New Yorkers every day, but they could use your assistance.
We encourage you to help make a difference this year by volunteering or donating to a local nonprofit organization that helps fight hunger in NYC. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, let us resolve to make this fight personal, and do what we can to help lift people up.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
