By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The amount of New Yorkers having problems affording food went down this year despite a recession, record unemployment rates and long lines at food pantries, according to a report released Monday.
The Food Bank for New York City, which provides 300,000 free meals to city residents each day, said the number New Yorkers having difficulty affording food dropped 15 percent from 2008 to 2009.
It's a surprising number considering food pantries are seeing a huge increase in the number of visits by hungry New Yorkers — sometimes by as much of 25 percent.
City Harvest, an organization that collects food and provides it to those in need, recently reported that visits were up by 15 percent over last year, and that this year more than half those lining up for food are children.
The Food Bank said while more New Yorkers are seeking free food, even more New Yorkers are getting free food, thanks to the temporary relief put into place this year by the federal stimulus package and other similar programs.
Even green markets are getting into the act — 23 such markets in New York City are now accepting food stamps.
The Food Bank noted that while the number of city residents experiencing difficulty obtaining food has dropped this year, it is still up by 60 percent over the 2003 numbers.
"Last year’s response, however successful, was temporary, and leaves us with a tremendous gap in resources while need is still high," Lucy Cabrera, the Food Bank's chief, said in a press release.
"Now is not the time to pull back support — especially when we’ve seen it work. And only sustainable solutions will drive down food poverty."
