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. During 2006, an average of 1.3 million New York City residents, including over 400,000 children, lived in households facing food insecurity, according to federal statistics calculated by the Coalition. This number was an increase of 1.4% over the previous three-year period.

City Human Resources Adminstration data also suggests a growth in the need for emergency food, with 323,000 more meals being served by City-funded programs in 2006 than 2005.

In the Coalition's annual survey of hunger in New York City - the most comprehensive of its kind - the city's emergency food programs estimated an 11% growth in need from 2005 to 2006, on top of 6% growth in the previous year. Because these agencies were unable to obtain enough food, money, staff, and volunteers to meet their growing need, nearly half (46%) were forced to ration food by turning people away, reducing portion sizes, and/or limiting hours of operations.

Clearly, the benefits of the city's economic upswing have not reached low-income citizens. The result has been hunger that hangs on. The fastest-growing populations at emergency food programs are working parents, children, and senior citizens. While the public often uses "hungry" and "homeless" interchangeably, most of the people forced to use pantries and kitchens do have a home - just not the money to purchase all the food they need.

The Coalition Against Hunger is dedicated to reversing these disturbing trends by helping emergency food programs obtain more food, staff, volunteer and funding resources and by addressing the root causes of increasing hunger and poverty.