NEW YORK — Gloria Robinson waits longer these days for food at the local pantry to feed her children.
As the price of grocery staples reached a decades-long high and pandemic-era benefits expired, Robinson, a mom of eight from the Bronx, told The New York Daily News the pantry line has grown too. At sites near her apartment on Yates Ave., the wait can take up to five hours. Sometimes there isn’t any food left once she arrives.
“I do as much as I could,” said Robinson, 57, who has lung disease and arthritis that make the wait difficult or near impossible. “I haven’t been to the pantry in three weeks.”
There are signs of economic resurgence all around New York. Unemployment has dropped close to pre-pandemic levels and nightlife is roaring back.
But the recovery has been uneven — and more children are going without the food they need.
“In theory, you’d think there was a return to normal,” said Jerome Nathaniel, director of policy and government relations at City Harvest, an anti-hunger nonprofit. “But we’re still seeing those same long lines at our pantry programs.”
Families with kids have experienced the highest surge in food pantry visits of any age group since the pandemic began, according to a new report from City Harvest, which collects unused food from restaurants and grocery stores and delivers it to people in need. The nonprofit and its partners tallied nearly 11.4 million visits by children over the past year — a 67% increase since 2019.
The problem has not affected all New York City families equally.
Close to 2.2 million food pantry visits in the Bronx over the last year were by children, while in Queens, where some neighborhoods were hit particularly hard by the virus, the rate increased by 87%. There, children have visited food pantries more than 3.5 million times over the last year, compared to 1.9 million in 2019.
“We’re operating at a very high level at a time when the public health emergency expired,” said Nathaniel.
Nathaniel attributed the need to a broader affordability crisis that is driving more families to food pantry programs. As pandemic-era safety net programs such as SNAP supplemental benefits expired, inflation kicked into high gear across the nation, squeezing needier families from both sides.
According to the report, a family of four with one kid in preschool and another who is school-aged would have to make at least $100,000 to adequately cover basic expenses like food, housing and child care in New York City. The greatest increase over the last few years was in northwest Brooklyn, where the same family would need to earn more than $142,000.
At the same time, many of the pandemic-era programs that have since expired — such as expanded tax credits for children and food stamp benefits for students in public schools — were targeted toward families with kids.
“These safety net programs, they were so important for protecting families from the brunt of the economic challenges,” said Nathaniel. “We expect there to be a greater demand for emergency food.”
Exactly how dramatic that need may be will depend on federal action on the so-called farm bill, which is slated for reauthorization this year and tackles food supply and prices, as well as negotiations on the debt ceiling that could impact the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“There’s a real opportunity right now — today, in this moment — to look at permanent changes,” said Nathaniel.
With lines at the food pantry too long to manage, Robinson, who cannot work because of her disability, relies on coupons in the circulars and seeking out various supermarkets to stretch her food stamps. Some months, she estimated spending up to $300 just on groceries while inflation makes it harder for New Yorkers to afford food.
“It’s a big jump from what we’re used to,” said Robinson, whose 25-year-old son is the only member of the family living at home who has an income.
At times, that has meant that the family had to fall back on canned foods and stews instead of fresh meats and vegetables, or the youngest son had to give up his favorite cereals, including Apple Jacks and Fruit Loops.
“They get frustrated, but like I tell them — Mommy can’t afford this,” Robinson said. “So we have to do with what we have.”
