In New York City, between 1.5 - 2 million people are food insecure. West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) is a leader in the emergency feeding space and has been successfully serving low-income New Yorkers for over four decades. WSCAH is best known for innovating the supermarket style, client choice model of food distribution more than [...]
Introduction Hunger and food insecurity have long been recognized as persistent problems in the US. In the last year, the COVID-19 epidemic and its economic consequences have pushed millions of additional children and young people in the U.S. into food insecurity, jeopardizing their current and future well-being and health. Recent research suggests that as many [...]
Introduction School meals provided under the USDA’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program contribute substantially to students’ daily dietary intake. Children from low-income households, who rely on school meals as a significant source of nutrition and calories1 benefit the most, making school food a program that helps to close gaps in access [...]
Download Literature Scan 1. Introduction Predatory marketing describes the practice of disproportionately marketing unhealthy products to certain populations by using aggressive, emotional, misleading, and pervasive advertising strategies. A growing body of evidence shows that unhealthy food is replacing tobacco as the leading cause of premature death and preventable illness in New York City—as well as [...]
Executive Summary Institutional food programs have long been an important source of daily nutrition for historically marginalized populations. Meals served at institutions play an essential role in providing healthy food and reducing food insecurity. These programs also supplement the household food budget for low-income families, leaving them more dollars to meet other essential needs. Additionally, institutional [...]
Introduction Source: NYC Office of the Director of Food Policy, Food Metrics Report 2018 In the days of vinyl, songs on the b-side got little air play and never made the charts, even though they often were as good as—or sometimes better than—the hits. As we reviewed New York City’s 2018 Food Metrics [...]
Introduction In New York City and around the world, diet-related chronic diseases are rapidly becoming the leading cause of premature death, preventable illnesses, and disability. Conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and some forms of cancer also impose a burden of suffering on individuals and families, costs on our health care systems, and lost [...]
Executive Summary Across New York City and the nation, low-income and working families with young children endeavor to raise strong, healthy children; maintain their family’s health; find and keep decent jobs and affordable housing; create safe communities; and claim a voice in shaping their neighborhoods. At the same time, within these communities, resilient families and [...]
Introduction A decade ago, New York City set out to improve access to healthy food in neighborhoods with insufficient full-service grocery stores.1 The resulting Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program, adopted in 2009, was modeled after the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing initiative and mirrored similar efforts in cities, states, and the federal government. [...]
Gentrification has transformed low-income communities worldwide. The process is complex but often follows a consistent pattern: capital flows into low-income neighborhoods, more affluent residents move in, real estate values go up, the housing stock is upgraded, low-income residents are forced to leave, and community character changes to accommodate the newcomers. Gentrification can happen abruptly, with [...]
