Food Stamp Prescreening & Outreach

In New York City, approximately 700,000 people who are eligible for the federally funded Food Stamp Program do not receive the benefits they are entitled to. With more than three million New Yorkers struggling to afford food, the Food Bank's Food Stamp Prescreening & Outreach program is an essential part of the fight to end food poverty in our city.

Prescreening interviews conducted by our staff of food stamp specialists help the Food Bank move those in need toward more sustainable means of combating poverty by providing New Yorkers with the information they need to complete the food stamp application process. In addition to assessing the eligibility of low-income households, these one-on-one meetings provide New Yorkers with access to trained professionals who provide detailed information and answer questions regarding the Food Stamp Program. In order to ensure that full benefits are received, the Food Bank helps to mediate problems that arise during the application process at the city's Human Resources Administration (HRA).

Improving the efficiency of these efforts, FoodChange — a subsidiary of the Food Bank For New York City — and United Way cooperated to develop Food Stamp Calculator software in 2001. Using this program, our team of food stamp specialists conducts prescreening interviews during year-round visits to more than 200 sites in low-income neighborhoods. Expanding the program's reach, social workers and food assistance program staff are educated on the Food Stamp Program and provided with training on the Food Stamp Calculator and a paper-budget prescreening process. The Food Bank provides the calculator to community-based organizations throughout the five boroughs that are monitored by our staff.

The program's Food Stamp Information Call Center further provides New Yorkers in need with access to food stamp specialists at 212.894.8060 during regular office hours for prescreenings and information about benefit programs, including food stamps. In addition, our Call Center contacts individuals who reported an interest in receiving prescreenings to our Free Tax Assistance Program and the Association of Community Organizations of Reform Now (ACORN).

As part of our efforts to connect New Yorkers to food stamp benefits, the Food Stamp Prescreening & Outreach Program conducts media outreach to promote a more positive perception of and educate New Yorkers about the Food Stamp Program. A key achievement of these efforts was the program's role in promoting acceptance of the "food card" — an electronic benefits transfer card (EBT) that functions like a debit card — which has helped to remove some of the stigma of using food stamps at point of purchase.

For more information, to request educational materials or to locate a Food Stamp Prescreening & Outreach site, contact Luis Guerrero, Manager of Food Access.