When the safety net fails, community agencies like the J must catch what falls through.
Food insecurity has grown at alarming rates across New York City. In 2024 alone, over 2.6 million New Yorkers experienced food hardship and 550,000 faced severe food shortages. These aren’t just numbers; they’re our neighbors. As recent EBT scams and government shutdowns interrupted access to life-sustaining public benefits, we knew we had to act.
The Marks JCH launched a multi-pronged crisis response to ensure no one in our community would go hungry. At our Bensonhurst Senior Center, we opened doors wider, offering daily warm meals to anyone who walked in. We prioritized meal delivery and wellness calls for homebound seniors, reactivating our pandemic-era care systems. Grocery cards were
distributed to families most at risk: older adults, survivors, newcomers, and those raising children with disabilities. Our social services hotline was converted into a dedicated intake center for urgent needs.
Even as SNAP benefits are stabilized, the crisis exposed how fragile New York’s food systems are and underscored the need for the J to remain ready to quickly pivot to emergency services. Our emergency response includes thousands of dollars in grocery cards, expanded staff capacity for wellness checks and crisis intervention, and other unanticipated needs.
Food is not optional. It’s foundational. And in moments of crisis, we will always be there to serve, to support, and to restore dignity one meal at a time.