School Meals

• Where OFNS is Serving Meals: New York City Public Schools remain closed until at least April 20th. Starting Monday March 23rd, students, parents, or guardians can pick up grab-and-go meals from 430+ community sites between 7:30am-1:30pm. Children do not need to be present. Community Food Advocates has published an interactive map and list of sites here. Check the NYC DOE website for updates and menus.
• Grab-and-Go Participation: 14,000 students took advantage of Grab and Go school meals on Monday. On Tuesday, the number climbed to 53,000 meals served. 1.1 million students attend NYC public schools.
• Emergency Grab and Go Meals: Butter Beans is preparing and delivering emergency grab & go meals for schools, daycares, and community centers in need, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Grab & go meals are packaged in a commissary kitchen and delivered by an in-house transportation team. For more information see the attached overview or contact their team at info@butterbeanskitchen.com or 718.499.0010.
• Red Rabbit Coronavirus Capabilities
  Red Rabbit is delivering emergency grab-&-go meals to daycares, schools, and community organizations during the coronavirus crisis. If you are facing service disruptions, you can reach out the company for help.  Red Rabbit can provide meals and will work with you to contact the appropriate funding agency. See link above for more information.

Public Benefits

• Public Charge Update: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services  has clarified that using medical services or preventative healthcare related to COVID-19 will not be considered under the public charge rule, even if those services are funded by Medicaid. Learn more here.  
• No Penalties for Missing Benefits Appointments: NYC HRA Services remain open. If you are unable or unwilling to come to HRA offices for scheduled appointments, no negative case actions will be taken during this time.
• National WIC Association has developed a Messaging Toolkit for state and local agencies to use during the coronavirus outbreak. The organization is also calling for state and local agencies to share materials they have produced related to COVID-19. Please note that these will be framed as “examples” in an evolving situation and not as finalized products in all cases. Send examples to at egilcher@nwica.org. 

Additional Resources

• FREE Online Class -- Get It While It Lasts! With schools and food and nutrition education programs suspended for COVID-19, the Tisch Food Center is offering a special free section of Teaching Food and Nutrition for All, typically $395. Educators can use food and nutrition to build community, support health, increase equity, and heal the planet. The course lasts March 23 to April 12, 2020. Spots are filling quickly; find out more here.
• COVID-19 Food Hub NYC
  The Food Education Fund, based out of Food and Finance High School, is compiling NYC-specific resources for families of public school students, as well as for restaurant owners / workers.  Click the link above to add or access information. 
• Food Bank for New York City is offering their CookShop worksheets to the public for free. The worksheets are divided for K-2, 3-5, and families.  There are coloring sheets, math worksheets, activities to do at home, budgeting & meal planning info for families. Access the worksheets here.
  
• No Kid Hungry Emergency Relief Grants Available: No Kid Hungry is offering real time funding and assistance to schools and community organizations making sure kids have access to the meals during the coronavirus outbreak. No Kid Hungry is providing emergency grants to support local efforts like home delivered meals, grab and go meals, school and community pantries, backpack programs, and other steps. We’re providing $1 million in emergency grants on a rolling basis.If your organization needs funding, please apply here.
  
  Hunger, Food, and the Coronavirus in NYC Webinar
  3/31 @ 9:30 am
  The coronavirus is rapidly changing life in New York City.  Hunter College Food Policy Center is hosting a panel to discuss next steps to protect our food system, farmers, and local food-related business owners, as well as how to ensure that our most vulnerable populations have access to nutritious food. 
• Voices for Healthy Kids Coronavirus Resources You Can Use
• Many cancer patients are staying home and not getting access to the medical nutrition support they need. Savor Health is currently offering free access to their “Intelligent Nutrition Assistant” chat bot so that cancer patients can get personalized, evidence-based nutrition and symptom management support “on demand.” Please share this link to access the advice of oncology-credentialed medical experts.

Food Banks and Pantries

• Here is a list of local soup kitchens and food pantries around NYC.
• Food Bank For New York City needs you. As their trucks remain on the road distributing food and supplies, and they continue to prepare and serve meals, the support of New Yorkers is vital. Meeting the rise in need we already see unfolding will require the help of even more volunteers. If you are healthy and able, please sign up.
• Charities Ramp Up Efforts to Feed People During the Pandemic: Check out this great resource from Coalition member Andrea Strong.
• Food Education Fund is compiling NYC-specific resources for families of public school students, as well as for restaurant owners / workers. Please add new resources here.
• Food Donation Flier: Harvard’s Food Law and Policy Clinic has shared a handout urging universities and other companies to donate their surplus foods if they are closing or moving to remote operations. Please share with your networks!

Gardens

• We are waiting to hear from DOE whether Food Ed Coalition members will be able to maintain school gardens, growing towers, and aquaponics resources, etc. during school closures.  We suggest partners reach out to schools directly to access facilities.  

Greenmarkets

• GrowNYC is strengthening policies around sanitary conditions at greenmarkets. If you would like to see these policies on food sales and distribution, email chuber@grownyc.org.

Supermarkets

• NYC Economic Development Corporation is working to address the concerns of supermarket owners and operators at this time.  EDC wants to hear what supermarket owners are concerned about and share ideas the City is considering to expand food access, specifically to seniors. Please share the attached email with supermarket operators that you work with and share responses with josman@edc.nyc. 

Restaurants

• Nightlife Workers, Freelancers, and Small Business Update: The New York City Office of Nightlife is gathering information about how COVID-19 closures and event cancellations are impacting your  livelihood. The data will guide New York City policy-makers and help the Office best address your challenges in the weeks and months to come. You can fill out the survey and find more information here. 
• Slow Food is working with partner organizations to develop a policy platform for restaurant workers and owners. If you are aware of initial campaigns that Slow Food can partner with please contact kelly@slowfoodnyc.org.

Street Vendors

• For workers in informal economies, this is a dire situation, leaving many with fear and confusion as to how they will support themselves and their families in the days, weeks and months to come.  90% of Street Vendor Project (SVP) members are low-wage immigrant workers who rely on busy streets in order to survive day to day. Without a safety net to fall back on, they must continue to work, risking their health and wellbeing in the process. In solidarity with small business owners and workers, frontline food service and delivery workers, and other particularly vulnerable workers, SVP has developed a policy platform. For more information, contact: svp@urbanjustice.org.