News Releases Archive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Wendy Healy
203-744-6367, wendy@ldrny.org
John Scibilia
866-864-1600, john@ldrny.org

LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE OF NEW YORK ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY CASH ASSISTANCE FOR LUTHERAN-BASED FOOD PROGRAMS

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Dec. 6 – Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDRNY) today announced it would provide emergency cash assistance for Lutheran-based and Lutheran-collaborative food pantries and meal programs to help meet increased demand following Sept. 11, 2001.

LDRNY’s offer of assistance was made in response to a recent report compiled by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and funded by Philip Morris Co. Inc. that found food pantries and meal programs in the five boroughs not keeping up with demand. Many of those seeking free meals are people who lost their job or a portion of their income as a result of the attack.

According to the report, “Hunger Among Hidden Victims,” which surveyed 247 agencies, New York City’s soup kitchens and food pantries fed 45 percent more people in 2002 than the previous year. In the year following Sept. 11, 2001, 73 percent of the agencies fed more children. The report also said that an estimated 350,000 persons were turned away from food programs last year, more than 100,000 were children and the elderly.

Adding to the growing problem, food pantries and meal programs received only nominal increases in food, funding and staffing over the past year. Food stamp assistance is available to too few families, according to the report.

“It’s easy to conclude that many of the hidden victims of 9/11/01 are now forced to rely on soup kitchens and food pantries so they don’t go to sleep hungry,” said Dr. John J. Scibilia, coordinator of LDRNY. “Our offices have received many calls from hungry families. Fortunately, we’ve been able to refer them to the 25 food pantries and soup kitchens run by Lutheran churches in conjunction with Lutheran Social Services-Metropolitan New York. But that’s not enough and their resources are limited. We have to make sure that no one goes to bed hungry in New York.”

Food pantries, soup kitchens and meal programs run by Lutheran churches, or in conjunction with an interfaith community effort, are encouraged to send a request for emergency cash assistance to LDRNY.
Requests should include the following:
    • Percentage increase of persons served since 9/11/01
    • A description of the general community of persons served
    • The funds needed and how they will be used.
    • Other funders and efforts being made to generate funding and resources.
Requests should be mailed to:
    Lutheran Disaster Response of New York
    22 Cortlandt St, 20th Floor
    New York, NY
    10007
or emailed to john@LDRNY.org.

“LDRNY understands that this emergency assistance response is related to the wave effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They are emergency funds to address the current expanded needs and possible temporary expansion of programs to meet the needs created as a result of such a disaster,” said Scibilia.

In addition, the Coalition Against Hunger is urging government and assistance agencies to increase their support of food programs.
To read the full report, go to www.nyccah.org.