Free School Meals for New York Students and the Work Ahead 

This year marked a milestone for New York: 2.7 million students across the State now have access to free breakfast and lunch, no stigma and no exceptions. New York is now one of just nine states to fully fund universal school meals.

NYHealth leaned in as a changemaker and proudly supported the educational and advocacy efforts that made universal free school meals a reality for all children in New York State. At a time when safety net programs are being rolled back across the country, this win is a reminder of what’s possible when policymakers, advocates, families, and funders work together.  Read more about NYHealth’s efforts to build momentum for this policy.

But even with this major win, the work is far from finished.

Hunger rates in New York State have surpassed early pandemic levels. More than 1 in 10 New Yorkers report not having enough food to eat in the last week, according to our latest NYHealth data brief. And at the federal level, nutrition programs are being undermined and undercut.

In October, amid the government shutdown, the Administration temporarily withheld Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) benefits, putting 3 million New Yorkers in an immediate hunger crisis. To meet the dire moment, NYHealth issued an emergency grant of $1 million for immediate cash relief to New York families at risk of hunger. Direct cash relief supported people to shop and feed their families with dignity and autonomy.

We were proud to provide fast-moving and direct support during the emergency. And New York’s universal school meals policy is a win worth celebrating as well as a model worth protecting. At the same time, rising hunger and federal instability make clear that we must continue advocating, acting boldly, and investing in sustainable policy solutions to ensure every New Yorker can access the food they need to thrive.

From Data to Action: Meeting Veterans’ Mental Health Needs

Behind every statistic about veterans’ mental health is a person navigating life after service. An NYHealth-commissioned statewide veterans’ needs assessment—the first in nearly 14 years—brought their experiences into focus, revealing that one in three recently separated veterans experience PTSD and/or depression, one in five struggles with unmet mental health needs, and one in ten thought about suicide in the past year. In fact, New York veterans die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population.

In response, NYHealth doubled down on its longtime commitment to strengthen and expand a network of mental health care and peer support services statewide. NYHealth invested in trusted partners, including Headstrong Project and the NYU Langone Military Family Center, to protect and strengthen community-based mental health options. These organizations deliver trauma-informed, culturally competent care at no cost to veterans, creating spaces where they can find support tailored to their experiences and filling critical gaps left by federal systems.

As a complement to clinical treatment, NYHealth advanced efforts to strengthen peer-to-peer support, a proven, cost-effective model that reduces isolation, strengthens social connection, and links veterans to care and suicide prevention services. NYHealth pushed for increased investment in peer mentorship and supported the formalization of the New York State Dwyer Coalition for Military Veterans & Families, which has established itself as an influential “go-to” resource with members representing every county.

We also conducted a series of regional roundtables with leaders, veterans, and community members to hear directly about mental health and other related needs in communities throughout the State. All of this work consistently points to the same challenge: veterans need mental health providers who truly understand their experiences and preferences.

Protecting Access to Care for Immigrant Communities

A key attribute of NYHealth’s Special Projects Fund is its ability to respond quickly to meet pressing and timely health care needs. Right now, the federal policy climate poses a serious threat to immigrant communities and their access to health care. Shifting regulations, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and administrative barriers have left many immigrant New Yorkers uncertain about their rights, hesitant to seek care, and at risk of going without essential services.

In response, NYHealth helped fund community-based organizations that serve as trusted resources for immigrant communities in New York State. The grants support the Asian American Federation, Make the Road New York, and Neighborhood Funders Group and their efforts to disseminate information and respond to the health, legal, and social care needs of immigrant and other marginalized populations in urban and rural communities.

These grants are part of an ongoing series of investments to support the health of immigrant and migrant communities. In recent years, more than 200,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in New York City. NYHealth grantees Make the Road NY, New York Immigration Coalition, and Bronx Health Collective provided health services and mental health support for new arrivals, including those who were relocated from New York City to areas throughout New York State. The grantees connected more than 12,000 people to health services, offered multilingual resources, facilitated educational meetings on health topics such as diabetes and asthma management, and more. Together, these support efforts have ensured that thousands of New Yorkers receive the care and dignity they deserve.

Read more about expanding access to health care for immigrant communities.

Coalitions, Stories, and a Senate Win: Advancing Primary Care Reform

Today less than five cents of every health care dollar goes to primary care, even though primary care doctors and nurses handle one out of every three health care visits. This mismatch leaves families without timely preventive care; increases health care costs; and strains a system that should be keeping New Yorkers healthy, not just treating them when they’re sick.

In 2025, NYHealth accelerated a statewide movement to strengthen New York’s chronically underfunded primary care system by supporting advocacy to direct a greater portion of health care dollars for primary care. The Primary Care Development Corporation mobilized a coalition of nearly 35 organizations across the State, and the Health Care for All New York coalition amplified the voices of patients and consumers. NYHealth invested in messaging research that captured powerful, personal stories showing how primary care transforms lives and tested messages that resonated with policymakers and the public.

Together, these efforts resulted in momentum for change. The State Senate passed a critical policy initiative—the Primary Care Investment Act. Although the bill did not make it over the finish line in the final hours of the Assembly session, it is strongly positioned for the next session with robust coalitions, clearer public support, and a legislative victory that signals bold change is within reach. At a time of strained health care budgets, common-sense solutions like investing in primary care are essential.