of Erie County
Food For All is a program of the Network of Religious Communities
SERVICES
At Food For All we work everyday to increase food security and education throughout the Western New York community in a variety of ways. We do this by actively promoting and increasing the public's awareness of: USDA nutrition programs, Western New York Farmers Markets, Community Gardens, and Community Supported Agriculture.
POVERTY & HUNGER FACTS
◘ Worldwide, approximately 925 million people were undernourished in 2010, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This figure does not include people who are malnourished because of obesity, which is a growing global concern.
◘ Nationally, the poverty rate was 13.7% of people age 18-65 for 2011. For children under age 18, this rate was 21.9%. For people aged 65 and older, it was 8.7%.
◘ In the City of Buffalo, almost 30% of the population lives below the poverty line. At the county level the rate is 14.0%.
◘ Childhood poverty in Erie County was 18.6% in 2005, with 37.5% of children in the City of Buffalo living in poverty.
◘ Approximately 101,264 people per month rely on emergency food services in Western New York.
◘ The number of SNAP/Food Stamp cases has more than doubled since 2002. In June 2002 there were only 36,561 cases while in June 2012 there were 78,867 cases. This increase is due to greater need as well as expanded eligibility guidelines and more emphasis on outreach.
Sources: World Bank, UN-FAO, U.S. Census Bureau, Food Bank of Western New York, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Nutrition Outreach Education Program (NOEP)
Food For All, through the NOEP program, works to increase awareness and participation in numerous federal nutritious programs such as:
- SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps)
- Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
- WIC
- National School Lunch Program and Breakfast Program
- Eat Smart NY
- Just Say Yes To Fruits and Vegetables
- WIC Farmers Markets Nutrition Program
- Senior's Farmers Markets Nutrition Program
If you would like more information about any of these programs contact us today!
Farmers Markets, Community Gardens, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)
Food For All actively promotes all Farmers Markets in Erie and Genesee Counties, especially those that accept EBT (SNAP benefits) as payment.
Food For All runs a community garden in conjunction with the Food Bank of Western New York. We are always looking for interested members of the Buffalo community to volunteer in the garden on weekends. If you are interested, feel free to check out the Garden Facebook Page here.
Community Supported Agriculture is a great way to contribute to local, healthy, and sustainable food in your community. Luckily in western NY we have several options. If you are interested in participating in a CSA, click here!