Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I like the season and the food. I like that it’s an inclusive, non-religious holiday. I like that it’s celebrated at home, without the pressure of gift-giving. I like being with family and friends, and the spirit of gratitude.
This Thanksgiving will be a little different for me—and for far too many families across New York.
After nearly 35 years of hosting, my mom is passing the torch. She’ll still make her amazing stuffing, but I’ll be hosting the crowd at my place this year. A lot will be the same, with a few twists (sweet potatoes will not be on the menu because I hate them, and a few new sides will debut). Hopefully, the food will be delicious and abundant enough for everyone to take home leftovers.
But not everyone will be so fortunate.
The hunger rate in New York has climbed higher than it was in the early days of the pandemic. More than one in ten New Yorkers now faces food insufficiency, according to a data brief the New York Health Foundation released earlier this year. Families with children are hit especially hard. Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are more than twice as likely to struggle to put food on the table as white New Yorkers. And while hunger is rising across every income group, it’s the lowest-income households that are most at risk.
The Foundation’s research also found that more than half of older adults in New York State report difficulty accessing affordable, high-quality food. Many are forced to make impossible choices: skipping meals to pay rent, delaying utility bills, or turning to credit cards just to eat. As they navigate retirement and aging, their fixed incomes simply can’t keep up with the rising cost of living in New York.
That was the backdrop when the federal government delayed and cut SNAP benefits this month, a casualty of the government shutdown. For working families already stretched thin by inflation and stagnant wages, SNAP is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Pulling that lifeline, even temporarily, shows a level of cruelty that is hard to comprehend.
After a lot of legal wrangling and the expected end of the shutdown, SNAP benefits should resume soon. But nearly two weeks without money for food is an eternity when your pantry is bare. The emergency food system—including food banks and pantries—was stretched to the limit. People stepped up and did what they could. As the stalemate dragged on, the New York Health Foundation took action, committing $1 million in immediate cash relief to help New York families at risk of hunger.
The emergency may soon be over. That’s welcome news, but it shouldn’t take a crisis—and multiple court orders—for families to get the help they need. In previous shutdowns, contingency funds and legal interpretations kept SNAP benefits flowing. Using food access as a political bargaining chip marks a new and shameful low point. The belief that we can rely on the federal government as a social safety net has been shaken to its core.
As I set the table this Thanksgiving, I’ll be thinking about the millions of New Yorkers who don’t have enough to eat. I hope that you have a holiday filled with joy and deliciousness. Let’s work harder so that all of us can celebrate with abundance, dignity, and health.
