Veterans Day: 40 Percent of NYC Veterans Go Hungry

[RT] Roughly 40 percent of New York City’s military veterans are finding themselves facing hunger with few options for help, and the problem may be get worse in the future.

According to Margarette Purvis, the president and CEO of the Food Bank for New York City, about 95,000 veterans need food aid such as those offered by soup kitchens and other hunger-relief organizations.

“On this Veterans Day, when we’re waving our flags — I need every New Yorker to know — 40 percent of New York City veterans are relying on soup kitchens and pantries,” Purvis said at an event in the Bronx on Saturday, according to CBS New York. “That is not a guesstimate; that is a fact.”

Purvis also said that with looming cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the problem is only going to worsen. These cuts will result in heavier reliance on food banks that may not have the capability to feed everyone in need.

Food banks tend to see the bulk of their donations during the holiday season, which should allow them to serve veterans and other people through the rest of the year. When the donations begin to dry up, however, many will be faced with the tough choice of either serving less food to individuals to ensure everyone receives something, or simply cutting off the line when food runs out.

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