New York City Pantries Ran Out Of Food After Food Stamps Were Cut | ThinkProgress

This is ridiculous!!

After food stamps were reduced at the beginning of November, New York City food pantries and soup kitchens ran out of food, turned people away, and reduced the meals they handed out after experiencing a surge of demand, according to a new report from Food Bank For New York City.

The organization surveyed 522 food pantries and 138 soup kitchens and found that in November 2013, nearly half had either run out of food altogether or the particular kinds of food they need to make adequate meals. About a quarter had to turn people away since they didn’t have enough food, and another quarter had to reduce the number of meals they provided.

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The experience in New York City has played out across the country. Mayors in different cities reported in December that the need for emergency food programs like pantries and soup kitchens had increased over the year before. In many of them, facilities turned people away due to a lack of resources, reduced the quantity of food they handed out, and reduced the number of visits they allowed each month. Even before the cut took place, private charities had warned they wouldn’t be able to pick up the slack, especially with charitable giving down in the aftermath of the recession.

New York City Pantries Ran Out Of Food After Food Stamps Were Cut | ThinkProgress