‘Staggering’ number of NYC kids rely on food pantries as providers, new report finds

About a million children and their families are relying on New York City food pantries every month — a number that hasn't abated since the pandemic — a new report found.

Numbers compiled by food rescue group City Harvest and shared with Gothamist shows an 89% increase in pantry visits by families with kids this year compared to 2019. The stubbornly high numbers come as some food providers have already had some of their funding frozen by the Trump Administration and as they brace for potential cuts to the federal food stamp program that feeds 1.8 million New Yorkers.

“It has the potential to be devastating,” said Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest.

She said of the 400 food organizations that partner with City Harvest, 10% have had funds frozen from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which reimburses pantry providers. And demand is only expected to increase in the summer, when schools close and no longer offer students free breakfast and lunch.

Stephens said there were 25 million visits to food pantries in 2019, which nearly doubled last year to 47 million visits.

“It’s staggering really,” Stephens said. “To see those numbers not at all subside is particularly breathtaking.”

Food prices in the New York City area have also risen 25% since 2019, according to a report released by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli last week. It’s even worse for lower-income families: Households earning less than $15,000 annually spent almost 70% of their income on food.

At the Hour Children Food Pantry in Long Island City, workers say they offer food three times a week and help about 240 people a day. Before the pandemic, they would serve about 70 a day.

“ There's always a kid on the line,” said Kellie Phelan, community manager at Hour Children. “A box of cereal is like $9. So if you're getting a box of cereal here at the pantry … you might be able to get your kid what they need for a school project.”

One in four children in the city are food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to the food they need, City Harvest said. And households with kids are about 20% more likely to struggle to make ends meet than households without children. The organization is launching its Share Lunch, Fight Hunger campaign this week that asks New Yorkers to donate $25 – the amount some people spend on a single lunch.

“It’s a great help because with that you can help with the household costs,” said Kimberli Arana, who works at a restaurant and was picking up food at Hour Children with her one-year-old daughter.

Without the pantry, she said she wouldn’t have enough to put food on the table.

“My pay is too little, and the cost of food is too high,” she said.