'Alarming' Food Insecurity Increase On Long Island, Food Bank Says

LONG ISLAND, NY — Hunger and food insecurity are on the rise on Long Island.

In 2022, Long Island Cares distributed 1,041,765 meals to 115,699 visitors, some of whom were repeats, at its five satellites across the island. In 2021, those numbers were 647,844 meals given to 73,896 visitors. The food bank handed out 60 percent more meals last year than in 2021.

The numbers are "alarming," said Dr. Jessica Rosati, the vice president of programs at Long Island Cares.

"The drastic increases are demonstrating that there is significant food insecurity on Long Island, larger than we have seen since the onset of the [coronavirus] pandemic," Rosati told Patch. "Long Islanders are relying more heavily on food pantries to sustain their family's food needs."

The increased cost of food, inflation, and need for emergency food on Long Island all contributed to the stark year-over-year increases in meals distributed and visitors, Rosati said.

Long Island Cares anticipated the need for emergency food assistance would increase during the pandemic, but the organization grew "concerned" that the ongoing inflation and bump in food costs would cause food insecurity among more Long Islanders, said Paule Pachter, CEO of Long Island Cares.

The U.S. monthly inflation rate fell to 6.1 percent in December after hitting 9.1 percent in June, according to Statista. However, the prolonged high inflation is taking a toll on Long Islanders' wallets, as many sought help at Long Island Cares, according to the nonprofit.

"While we can’t control inflation, we can increase our food purchases, retail donations and food drives to bring in more food and other products," Pachter said.

The organization expanded marketing to focus more on specific populations in need, including seniors, veterans and the homeless.

Pachter said Long Island Cares will "aggressively attempt" to raise funds to open more satellites. A Valley Stream location is set to open in March, joining satellites in Huntington Station, Freeport, Bethpage, Lindenhurst, and Hampton Bays.

All levels of government have an important role to play in solving hunger and food insecurity, according to Pachter. Government entities can provide additional funds and develop social policies that would allow people in need to overcome inequities that keep them down, Pachter said.

He also argued for regionalizing the federal poverty level to address the cost-of-living differences in certain parts of the United States.

Pachter said he hopes New York State will increase funding to address food insecurity by at least an additional $22 million in 2023.

"Increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour is a good start but, we also need well-paying jobs and opportunities for vocational training and apprenticeships for people on the low-income level," Pachter said. "Developing safe and more affordable housing choices would also be significant in helping people to improve their quality of life."

Rosati does not know if the 2023 numbers will be worse than 2022.

"All we can do is prepare for the increased demand, by having food stocked and pantries open," she said. "There must be a combination of activities to happen to eradicate hunger on Long Island. In terms of looking into 2023, Long Island Cares will continue to advocate for a regionalized poverty guideline, as well as any additional funding opportunities that can aid us with the rising costs of goods."

The 2022 vs. 2021 year-over-year increases for each of the five Long Island Cares satellites can be seen below:

• Bethpage – 175,878 meals (155% increase over 2021) and 19,496 (non-unique) visitors served (155% increase over 2021)
• Hampton Bays – 88,629 meals (47% increase over 2021) and 9,849 visitors served (44% increase over 2021)
• Huntington Station – 133,081 meals (28% increase over 2021) and 14,785 visitors served (28% increase over 2021)
• Freeport – 461,889 meals (48% increase over 2021) and 51,537 visitors served (42% increase over 2021)
• Lindenhurst – 182,288 meals (76% increase over 2021) and 20,032 visitors served (51% increase over 2021)

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.