Connecting Hungry Families With Food Assistance

Too many New Yorkers are hungry.

That was one of the many lessons learned in the past 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
At the same time, we learned that there are organizations, individuals, and governments ready and willing to pitch in to help provide good food choices to the people who find their cupboards bare at any time during the month. One of the tools created recently, a Food Connect Map, identifies food providers throughout the State of New York, and was built to connect hungry residents with places to get vital groceries.

The Food Connect Map, created by the Food Pantries for the Capital District, is an online interactive tool found on The Food Pantries' website, it is a comprehensive listing of food pantries and community meal sites across New York State. The map is an essential resource for those seeking food assistance, especially those in need of help for the first time. The map provides links to the websites of food pantries and other resources, contact information and pertinent hours of operations that are regularly updated with regard to any operational adjustments made due to COVID-19. 
 
In this effort, The Food Pantries for the Capital Districts has partnered with the Special Assistant to the NYS Governor's Food and Anti-Hunger Policy Coordinator, the NYS Department of Health—Hunger Prevention and Nutritional Assistance Program (HPNAP) and the NYS Office of the Aging—NY Connect project to share our data and make this information accessible.  They receive data from HPNAP that allows them to populate the map with information from food providers across New York State.  In addition, they have worked closely with CAPTAIN Community Human Services to share its data to create a free mobile Food4NY app.  

“This is exciting for us in our vision to end hunger and to aid in our filling the gap initiatives to increase connection and access to food assistance throughout the entire state of New York and the more than 2 million New Yorkers suffering from hunger,” said Natasha Pernicka, The Food Pantries' Executive Director. “Thank you to Governor Cuomo, Troy Web Consulting, CAPTAIN Community Human Services, United Way of the Greater Capital Region, and others for working with us to launch this critical statewide food access resource that we have made available for everyone to use and share.”
 
This map and its data can be used by counties and all interested agencies and organizations to publish on other websites or populate other maps. That means that anyone or organization throughout New York State can post a link to this map on their website, publish the map itself on their website, or request the data to populate their own map. If you would like to know more please email pantries@thefoodpantries.org or call 518-458-1167.
 
The Food Pantries for the Capital District  is a network of more than 65 food pantries throughout the Capital Region.  Throughout this serious public health and economic crisis, their work to serve food pantries and feed the hungry has proven critical to ensuring citizens of New York find food resources within their own neighborhoods.