| Releases & Statements
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum stood with Queens Council Members John Liu and Hiram Monserrate and anti-hunger advocates to promote restoration of food stamp eligibility to all qualified immigrant children. This federal law rectifies changes made in 1996 that deemed immigrants ineligible for food stamps, regardless of need or legal status. It is also an improvement on an April 2003 restoration, which extended food stamp eligibility to immigrant children and adults who have been in the U.S. for at least five years.
“Creating new lives for themselves and for their children is no easy task for new immigrant families. Extending food stamp benefits to immigrant children is one way we can help ease the burden. It’s also the right thing to do. No child should go hungry in New York City . It is my hope that every eligible immigrant child take advantage of this federally funded program – it is their right,” said Gotbaum, standing in front of a supermarket on Roosevelt Avenue in Corona, Queens, a heavily immigrant community. More than 800,000 New Yorkers who are eligible for food stamps do not receive their benefits.
"New immigrants come here from all over the world. They work hard and add to the economic and social vitality of our City. Sometimes, these new immigrant families find themselves in difficult circumstances. In these tough times, the safety net that our society created should be equally available to them," said Flushing Council Member Liu, the first Asian elected to the City Council.
"We must put an end to hunger in our communities," said Council Member Hiram Monserrate, Chair of the Council's Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, and the first Hispanic Queens Council Member. "Proper nutrition is necessary for children to grow healthy and have the energy to learn and concentrate in school. With the additional $100 per child this program provides, immigrant parents can put food on the table for their children and ensure their access to opportunity in the future."
Richard Murphy, executive director of the Community Food Resource Center , said, "What is more basic than ensuring adequate food for all the children of New York City ? This expansion of Food Stamp eligibility makes it easier to reach out to immigrant families."
"Given that new federal statistics indicate that hunger is increasing nationwide, it is more important than ever that all eligible American families -- whether they immigrated to America last year or decades ago -- are able to obtain food stamps," said Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.
“This benefit will allow people who may be struggling to stabilize their incomes so they don’t have to choose between feeding their children and paying the light bill,” said Larry Mandell, president-elect of United Way of New York City .
People who are seeking more information about the food stamp program, can call Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum’s office at 212-669-4743 (translation services are available for all languages) or the Community Food Resource Center ’s toll free hotline at 1-866-FOOD NYC (1 866-366-3692).
Gotbaum also encouraged people who thought their children might be eligible for food stamps to contact any of the following community based organizations, which are coordinating food stamp outreach efforts with the United Way of New York City :
Chinese-American Planning Council - 212-431-7800
365 Broadway, Ground Floor (entrance on Franklin St. ), Manhattan
Citizens Advice Bureau - 718-295-7160
2925 Grand Concourse, Bronx
Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement - 212-281-2761
2855 Frederick Douglass Blvd. , Manhattan
Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council - 718-455-0045
217 Wycoff Avenue , Brooklyn
Sunnyside Community Services - 718-784-6173 ext. 114
43-31 39th Street , Queens
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