Government Relations

• SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): Provides food benefits to eligible individuals and families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being

• SNAP-Ed (SNAP Education): Offers nutrition education and resources to help SNAP participants make healthy food choices on a budget. 

• TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program): Provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods to the Food Bank to distribute to our community partners and neighbors in need

• CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program): Provides reimbursements for meals served to children and youth participating in afterschool care programs

• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children): Provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and health resources to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and young children.

• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP): Offers free breakfasts and lunches to children during summer months when school meals aren’t available. 

• School Lunch/Breakfast Programs: Provides nutritionally balanced breakfasts and lunches to children each school day 

• NOEP (Nutrition Outreach and Education Program): Offers one-on-one help applying for SNAP. NOEP coordinators can tell if you may be eligible, help you gather documents you need, and help you with our SNAP application.

• JSY (Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables & SNAP-ed): Promotes healthy eating through interactive nutrition education, cooking lessons, and fruit-and-vegetable-focused recipes. 

• HPNAP (Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program): Provides funding and support to enhance access and availability of nutritious food and additional resources with the goal of empowering individuals to increase their independence from food assistance programs.  

• Nourish New York: Allows New York’s emergency food providers to purchase surplus products from New York farmers and dairy manufacturers and deliver it to New York families in need. 

Support Fully-Funding HPNAP & Nourish New York! Both One-House Budgets proposed funding for hunger relief programs including HPNAP and Nourish New York at $75M each, a huge win for food banks, pantries and community-based organizations across the state. However, we still have time before the final budget is decided!

Negotiations around the final FY27 state budget between the Governor and Senate and Assembly leadership will begin soon. It is critical that we continue to advocate for funding for both the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and Nourish New York to remain at $75M each in the enacted FY27 state budget. 

We have two simple call-to-actions for you to make a difference:

1. Call Governor Hochul, State Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie using the sample script and phone numbers below to ask them to ensure HPNAP and Nourish New York are funded at $75M each in the enacted FY27 state budget.
2. Complete the click-to-action to send an email to Governor Hochul and state leaders urging them to fully fund HPNAP and Nourish New York!

How to Call Your Lawmakers:

Governor Hochul:
518-474-8390

Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins:
Albany Phone: 518-455-2715
District Phone: 914-423-4031

Assembly Speaker Heastie:
Albany Phone: 518-455-3791
District Phone: 718-654-6539

Hello, my name is ____(name) and I’m calling from ___(city/neighborhood). Because of  federal cuts to food assistance programs and skyrocketing need, it is critical that New York State steps up and fully fund food assistance programs.

I’m calling to ask that HPNAP and Nourish New York be funded at $75 million each in the final FY27 state budget.

{Insert relevant facts, data, stories, testimonials, etc}

Thank you and we appreciate your work on behalf of New York families.

Send an email to Governor Hochul and state leaders!