Our results made up the main text of the Food Bank for New York City 2007 Hunger Study. We determined that nearly one million individuals in the city needed emergency food assistance but were not receiving it. The report also showed that the number of people requiring emergency food assistance was increasing. The results were widely reported in New York media including the New York Times. As soon as we reported the increase in need, food banks throughout the United States followed suit and reported the same observation, an inexplicable and surprising result.
impact statement issue
The resources and services of the Food Bank for New York City may not be meeting the needs of all New Yorkers who, from time to time, are food insecure and need emergency food assistance. The Food Bank wanted us to estimate the number of people in the city who are food insecure, the number who are receiving emergency food assistance, and by subtraction the number of New Yorkers who need emergency food assistance but do not receive it.
impact statement response
We designed a Monte Carlo methodology that determined randomly the place, time, and number of food pantry/soup kitchen clients to complete a survey administered by the Food Bank for New York City. We helped to design the survey, and we were provided the data and conducted an economic analysis using the survey results and meals data to determine the number of city residents needing emergency food assistance and the number being served by Food Bank activities, WIC, and food stamps and those who were not.
impact statement summary
This study involved working with the Food Bank for New York City to determine the gap between emergency food assistance provided through soup kitchens, food pantries, food stamps, etc. and the population of the five boroughs of New York City that need emergency food assistance.
