Staten Island Hunger Task Force September Meeting: Urgent Need For Community Participation To Help With Food, Basic Necessities
Staten Island Hunger Task Force September Meeting: Urgent Need For Community Participation To Help With Food, Basic Necessities
Editor’s note: Back in May, the SIHTF highlighted many of the issues, which continue still. Access to high quality, reasonably priced food items and basic needs continues to become more difficult for everyday Americans and New Yorkers. For those with small children, it can be even more difficult, particularly since the infant formula recall still has repercussions for the economy. We recently covered the newest campaign by Citizens Committee For NYC, which may be able to help fill the gap soon to be felt as the funding for critical programs is reduced or cut entirely. This issue is playing out in Congress now, as another government shutdown looms, the second in six months.
SI Hunger Task Force September 8, 2025, at 4pm
On Zoom
- Welcome
- Minutes Approval
- Board Updates
- 501c3 progress
- Grants
- Citizens Committee for NYC Grant
- Neighbors Feeding Neighbors: https://givebutter.com/neighborsfeedingneighbors
- Pet Pantry INT 1172 update
- October 31 – Hunger Free Campus Act Forum
- FerryHawks Hunger Days – Updates and
- Other Updates
- Monthly Pantry Check-in:
- H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths Pop-up Pantries and Food Locker with the Social Care Network
- Committees:
- Food For All
- Guest speaker Cheryl Huber, United Way.
- Data – 2023 Data, request for 2024 Data
- Update from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Project
- Volunteer Committee – Revitalization
- Presentations:
- Chris Dowling, SIPPS – Update on the 1115 Waiver and Food Pantries
- Dr. Ginny Mantello – Update on SI Clip, Blood Pressure Program, and Wagner College Physician Assistants’ Pantry Program
Staten Island Hunger Task Force Meeting Minutes June 2nd 2025
Attendance: Alemayhu Ayele, Tommy Bond, Terry Troia, Susan Fowler, Antionette Donegan, Alex Hughes, Maryann (Good Council), Delila Nadal, Teddy Otobo-Sheriff, Lynell Bruno, Carol Crocitto, Ginny Mantello, Amanda Garcia, Heather Butts, Laura Jean Watters, Jingtong He, Danielle Parks, Abbie Watts
Heather Butts –
Kicked off the meeting and took the motion to approve the minutes. Moved by Susan Fowler, seconded by Alex Hughes, approved without abstention or objection.
Updates:
Candidate Forum Wednesday June 5th (City Council and BP race candidates) 6-8PM
2 Students from Columbia University that will be working with us over the summer for Data Analysis and Gathering and other Admin Issues
Ferryhawk Hunger Days – Ferryhawks will collect canned goods in exchange for tickets to specific games, and that food will be provided to Hunger Task Force member pantries for distribution to our clients.
We are clients for the Lawyer’s Alliance and have paid our retainer. We are on the way to our 501(c)3 status.
Special thanks to Project Hospitality for serving as the anchor organization of the Hunger Task Force and paying the bills for web hosting etc for so long.
We have received a grant through Citizens Committee for NYC and are seeking out further future funding opportunities.
Dr Mantello suggests that we start moving forward with education and blood pressure monitoring within the work that the Hunger Task Force does in order to better care for the various Social Determinants of Health. There is an upcoming BP monitoring training coming at the end of June.
Monthly Pantry Check-in/ Special Presentation –
Amanda Garcia – Gerard Carter Center Pantry
Due to food insecurity being extensive in the community, we have expanded from a Pantry cabinet, and have obtained a refrigerator. People are in and out all the time, as this pantry is open daily. The food we are currently receiving for our pantry is not sufficient to keep up with the demand. The Carter Center pantry is looking to network and expand donations and capacity with the goal of staying consistently stocked to help close the needs gap in the community. The Carter Center has served 7000 people in varying capacities over the course of the past 11 months.
Terry Troia – Food For All –
Abbie Watts – Director of Food Advocacy for Community Food Advocates
Statewide campaign in partnership with Hunger Solutions for school meals
This year we managed to get a Statewide universal school meal program, serving 2.7 Million students statewide. Even private schools who participate in the national School Lunch program are included in this.
Meeting Adjourned
Staten Island Hunger Task Force Meeting Minutes May 5th 2025
Attendance: Alemayhu Ayele, Tommy Bond, Terry Troia, Avenella, Giacomo DiPasquale, Dawn Bridgeford, Fr Hank, Selena (AM Fall), Lynell Bruno, Tim McIntyre, Laura Jean Watters, Teddy Otobo-Sheriff, Joe Tournello, Cathy Carlson, Danielle, Susan Fowler, Steven Kaufman, George, Paloma Wasserstein, Antionette Donegan, Priscilla Marco, Heather Butts, George Baretto, Carol Crocitto
Heather Butts –
Kicked off the meeting with a welcome and an announcement that the Hunger Task Force is actively pursuing our 501(c)3 via the Lawyer’s Alliance. We are going to be working with Columbia University students to help compile and aggregate our data, and perform advanced analysis. Our Candidate Forum is upcoming on June 4th. We are collecting signatures in support of the pet food pantry bill.
Monthly Pantry Check-in/ Special Presentation –
Dr. Giacomo DiPasquale –
Assistant Professor: Nicolais School of Business – Wagner College
We have been conducting a study on the effects of income inequality on health outcomes locally. The presence of food deserts and food swamps on Staten Island are notable and seem to be directly related to diabetes, high blood pressure, and other serious health incomes that can be traced to food quality and access. They have based this research on Wilkinson’s Income Inequality Hypothesis. They have been serving over 300 people, but we wish to serve over 1000 people over 3 years, while diversifying as much as possible. One of the goals is to foster partnerships with community organizations in order to do this work, and reach as many people as possible. Staten Island has been chosen due to the unique socioeconomic contrast that exists here, particularly because of the perception that most people have that these conditions don’t exist on Staten Island. Income inequality impacts food access, quality of food, and ultimately health outcomes. The only way to fight this from continuing is to research, collaborate, and act as best as we can.
Terry Troia – Food For All –
3 Major programs feed our emergency food pantries. EFSP, CACFP, and TEFAP. TEFAP funding has been cut by 50%. EFSP and CACFP have both been frozen. TEFAP is split between USDA and CCC. CCC regulates prices of food coming from farms to subsidize farmers. CCC money has been stopped from flowing to any/ all programs as a result of conflict in the federal government, and as such TEFAP foods available are very limited. We are working to advocate against the proposed changes to SNAP as well. More information will be forthcoming at the next meeting.
Chris Dowling – SIPPS – 1115 Waiver Social Care Network
The 1115 waiver promotes equitable care for NY families and individuals to address disparities in health, particularly in high risk populations. Food deserts, income inequality, and redlining have all highlighted the inequity in our society. Addressing food insecurity and housing instability is now widely regarded as essential in achieving favorable health outcomes. As the lead entity, SIPPS is charged with contracting CBO’s, health care providers, and other entities, and building a network to comprehensively and equitably meet the needs of the clients making use of the Social Care Network. This will redesign how Medicaid is used in NYS. This waiver period spans through 2027, at which time the program will be evaluated and adjusted toward even more equitable health outcomes. The goals are to deliver health related social needs (food and nutrition, housing, and transportation), increase the capacity to address unmet social needs, and to use data and technology to facilitate sustainable Medicaid reimbursements all working together to improve health outcomes, and to save money for Medicaid long-term by tackling root causes of chronic illness. If results are as good as expected, this could potentially remodel the entire Medicaid system in NY. At the moment this is only available for persons enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan. This program shows a lot of promise as far as helping to restructure and re-evaluate health outcomes and social needs from a whole person perspective.
Banner Image: Mother and child in poverty. Image Credit – ia huh
SI Hunger Task Force
The SI Hunger Task Force is not a pantry. Instead, we connect community members to pantries and pantries to community and government resources.
[…] note: At the time of the September meeting, the minutes were available from the June meeting and prior, which can be found here. Once the November minutes are received, they’ll be […]