Food Stamp Participation Hits One Million; 700,000 New Yorkers Still to Be Reached Through Agencies Like CFRC; Registering Remaining People Could Bring $2.6 Billion to Local Economy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2004--More than one million New York City residents are participating in the federally-funded Food Stamp Program as of July 2004, according to recently released figures from the Human Resources Administration, a New York City government agency. With almost 1.7 million New Yorkers eligible for this nutrition and income support program, 700,000 potentially eligible participants for Food Stamps are still not receiving them. In addition to providing people with money for food, registering remaining New Yorkers could bring an estimated $2.6 billion to the local economy.

Going practically unnoticed in the flurry of activity around the Republican National Convention, the U.S. Census reported last week that poverty is on the rise nationwide. Almost 36 million adults, children and seniors are now living in poverty and 2003 marks the third year in a row that the number has increased. Many of those people are the 'working poor' whose insufficient earned incomes put them at risk for hunger and food insecurity. In light of this reality, the Food Stamp Program is needed more than ever.

“Community Food Resource Center (CFRC) is leading the charge in New York to educate people about food stamps, pre-screen them and help them begin receiving this vital benefit”

"Community Food Resource Center (CFRC) is leading the charge in New York to educate people about food stamps, pre-screen them and help them begin receiving this vital benefit," said Jodi Harawitz, Director of Food Access at CFRC. "Since 1998 we have pre-screened more than 57,000 households for food stamps and in 2003 alone, our efforts prompted 55,000 people to call our toll-free food stamp hotline to request more information and enabled 13,000 households to be pre-screened for food stamps."

The federally-funded program serves as a strong line of defense against hunger for individuals and families. CFRC's Food Access group educates low-income New Yorkers about the Food Stamp Program, which helps them secure adequate and nutritious food through the use of an electronic benefits transfer card. This ultimately moves communities towards more sustainable solutions to combat poverty.

The Food Stamp Program provides more than nutritional support to New York's most vulnerable populations; it also boosts the economy by drawing much-needed revenue to the entire city. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that for every Food Stamp dollar spent, the city gains $1.84 in related economic activity. The New York economy loses enough Food Stamp revenue annually to fund a West Side Stadium every year.

CFRC is an advocacy and direct service organization that was founded in 1980 to promote access to nutritious food and adequate income for all New Yorkers. CFRC sponsors media campaigns to promote the benefits of the Food Stamp Program as well as pre-screens households to determine their food stamp eligibility. CFRC is also a leading advocate for improved government access.