Assessing Food Needs in Kosher and Halal Observant Communities Across New York

On March 1, 2023, NYHealth hosted a webinar with Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield and Jessica Chait, Managing Director of Food Programs and Policy, Met Council, on assessing the food needs in kosher and halal observant communities across New York.

Nationally, there is a growing understanding that the variety of food that emergency food programs provide must mirror the diversity of the communities they serve. But recent data from NYHealth show that racial and ethnic groups are not equally satisfied with the foods that food banks and pantries provide. Met Council, based in New York City, has looked to data collection and analysis to craft policy and funding solutions aimed at addressing disparities in access to culturally relevant foods.

Panelists outlined their work to provide kosher and halal items to food-insecure individuals who observe religious diets and discussed the organization’s recent efforts to influence policy at the local and federal levels, describing new efforts to ensure that religious-observant communities across New York State have access to the foods they need to thrive. For more information about Met Council’s work in this area, contact policy@metcouncil.org.

Watch the webinar recording here.