Impact Stories

Meeting Food and Shelter Needs

By Rachel Perry
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United Way of New York City is committed to addressing immediate food and shelter crises for struggling New Yorkers. Its Food & Benefits Access team connects families with assistance critical to economic mobility, improving food equity and access by providing community-based organizations with high-quality, culturally appropriate foods, nutrition education, and technical assistance.

United Way aims to ensure:

  • Emergency food is accessible to all New Yorkers, and there is a sufficient supply of healthy food in neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity.
  • All New Yorkers have economic mobility through dignified access to free supplemental food and benefits resources.
  • Community-based organizations have adequate funding and educational, logistical, and technical resources to provide essential services.

In the past year, United Way referred 13,598 individuals to other benefits and services and distributed 14.1 million pounds of food. With trusted relationships with over 600 community-based organizations, United Way supports rent, mortgage, and utilities relief, among other services.

Through the Food Access initiative, United Way funds, builds capacity, trains, and develops leadership in more than 500 community-based organizations. Essential programs include the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), and Nourish NY, which provide nutritious food to pantries and soup kitchens.

United Way continues to innovate to build communities where all residents can thrive.