Res. No. 1808 Title Resolution supporting New York State Assembly Bill A.4089, a bill that would coordinate the donation of excess, unused food from meals programs at schools, universities and other educational institutions to hungry New Yorkers, and urging the New York State Senate to introduce and pass a companion bill. Body By Council Members DiBrienza, Malave-Dilan, Eisland, Freed, Henry, Nelson, Perkins, Quinn, Reed, Sabini and Golden; also Council Members Carrion, Fisher, Harrison, Michels, Miller, McCaffrey, O'Donovan and Rodriguez Whereas, According to a City Harvest Childhood Hunger Fact Sheet, the United States Department of Agriculture reports that there are nearly 400,000 people in New York City, approximately 118,000 of them children, who are suffering from "moderate to severe" hunger; and Whereas, According to a Hunger Fact Sheet released by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger on October 14, 1999, requests for emergency food in New York City grew by 36% from January 1998 to January 1999; and Whereas, The New York City Coalition Against Hunger Fact Sheet also indicated that 73,832 hungry people in New York City were turned away by 221 emergency food programs in January 1999 alone, the equivalent of 2,382 people per day; and Whereas, Educational institutions throughout the State operate meal programs that serve millions of meals; and Whereas, As an example, the New York City Board of Education currently has one of the largest food preparation programs in the nation -- preparing approximately 810,000 meals on a daily basis; and Whereas, Due to numerous factors such as student absences and school field trips, the New York City Board of Education does not serve all of the meals allotted daily and almost always discards the majority of food which is left over; and Whereas, According to some food recovery and gleaning advocates, if just 2 1/2 to 5% of the meals served in the New York City public school system could be recovered, between 20,000 and 40,000 additional meals could be served to the poor each day; and Whereas, On January 18, 2001 the Committee on General Welfare conducted an oversight hearing at which New York City Board of Education officials testified that if it were assured of the proper handling of left over food, it would donate left over lunches; and Whereas, On January 18, 2001 the Committee on General Welfare passed a resolution which was subsequently adopted by the full New York City Council, urging the New York City Board of Education to implement a school lunch recovery program; and Whereas, New York State Assembly Bill A.4089 would not only assist in the creation of a school lunch recovery program for New York City public schools, but would also help facilitate the creation of similar programs throughout the State thereby helping to feed thousands of hungry New Yorkers; and Whereas, New York State Assembly Bill A.4089 would therefore be a strong weapon in the fight against hunger in New York City and throughout the State; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports New York State Assembly Bill A.4089, a bill that would coordinate the donation of excess, unused food from meals programs at schools, universities and other educational institutions to hungry New Yorkers and urges the New York State Senate to introduce and pass a companion bill. RA/RN 3/7/2001 LS #3967 |1013| |1013|