Before the coronavirus hit New York City, more than 1.2 million of its residents, about 15 percent, were food insecure – including one in five children. Now that the city has shut down and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have lost their jobs, the number of those relying on food pantries is only rising. 

The virus also shut down the city’s schools – the largest public school district in the United States.

It serves more than a million students in K through 12. Seventy percent of them qualify for and many rely on free or reduced-price lunches – an indicator of poverty.

Schools across the city are now offering three grab and go meals a day – from Monday to Friday – to anyone who needs it – not just parents of school aged children.

The city recently also launched an 170 million dollar program that will deliver meals to needy New Yorkers stuck in their homes.

The mayor has also appointed a “COVID-19 food czar” to manage the crisis and has vowed it will not let any New Yorkers go hungry.