Media Advisory: Top Elected Officials Join 500 Leaders From the City's Hunger-Relief Community to Respond to the Economic Crisis

Speaker Christine Quinn to Kick Off Food Bank For New York City's Citywide Hunger Summit

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill deBlasio, NYC Comptroller John Liu, Manhattan Borough Prez Scott Stringer, and other elected officials will join 500 leaders from the city’s hunger-relief community — representing approximately 1,000 food assistance organizations — at the Food Bank For New York City’s one-day citywide hunger summit to respond to the economic crisis on Tuesday, January 12th, starting at 8:45 am, at The New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, 6th Floor, Times Square, West 46th Street & Broadway.   Morning Policy Forum will produce a platform to end childhood hunger by 2015.

8:45am: Welcome, Dr. Lucy Cabrera, President & CEO, Food Bank For New York City
9:00am:  Opening Remarks - City Council Speaker Christine Quinn will introduce new Council
                members and address child hunger initiatives.
9:15am – 11 am: Policy Forum – Ending Child Hunger by 2015
Bill deBlasio and Scott Stringer – Remarks during Policy Forum
John Liu Remarks at Closing Reception
11:05 – 5:00 Forums and Workshops including Food stamp outreach; Raising money with limited resources; Managing stress for clients & volunteers; Anti-hunger advocacy strategies; Adopt A Food Program service initiative, more…

WHO: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill deBlasio, NYC Comptroller John Liu, Manhattan  Borough Prez Scott Stringer, and other elected officials; Dr. Lucy Cabrera, President & CEO of Food Bank For New York City; 500 leaders of NYC’s Hunger Relief Community
WHAT:  Citywide Hunger Summit in Response to the Economic Crisis
WHEN: Tuesday, January 12th, starting at 8:30 am
WHERE:   The New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, 6th Fl., Times Sq., 46th & Broadway

1 out of every 5 children in NYC relies on emergency food programs to eat.  27% of NYC children live in poverty and 47% of  NYC households with children have difficulty affording needed food.  Right now, 3.3 million New Yorkers are having difficulty affording food – which represents 2 in every five residents.  Increased demand for assistance is outweighing the increased support for food and services (from the Farm Bill and the Stimulus). The Food Bank estimates that half of emergency food organizations in the city are turning people away.  During the past year,  need has continued to escalate.  More than 9 in every 10 food assistance sites have witnessed an increase in first-time clients and more than half have seen an increase of upwards of 25%.  And every emergency food provider will tell you that the overwhelming theme this year is the crippling sense of shame and embarrassment new clients feel as they stand on line at the soup kitchen or food pantry. For most, there is a shared sense of loss and failure and fear of what lies ahead. Looking forward, the Food Bank anticipates that 2010 will be a harder year for our clients as Stimulus money evaporates and economists predict that the current staggering unemployment rate will carry well past 2011.