New statistics show a sharp rise in reliance on the emergency food system
New data collected from Foodlink’s network of 300+ food bank members — such as local food pantries and meal programs — revealed another sharp rise in requests for food assistance this year. Through September, requests for help have risen 47 percent compared to a year ago. In fact, there have been 1.34 million visits to […]
2024 Foodlink Festival of Food Guide
The 2024 Foodlink Festival of Food is near! We can’t wait for you to join us for our big fundraiser on Monday, Sept. 16 at the City of Rochester Public Market (280 N. Union St.). The event begins at 6 p.m. for general admission, and 5 p.m. for VIPs. We’ll be posting a complete guide […]
USDA report: Food insecurity continues to rise nationwide
A report released Wednesday by the USDA showed a steady rise in food insecurity for a second consecutive year. The national rate, according to the Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 report, has climbed to 13.5% — an increase from 12.8% from the year prior. The new rate reflects 47.4 million people […]
September is Hunger Action Month! How to get involved …
September is Hunger Action Month — a national awareness and advocacy campaign led by the Feeding America network of food banks that encourages a united response across the country to end hunger. During the month-long campaign, Foodlink and our partner food banks will be raising awareness and inspiring action among our supporters. Every action counts, […]
‘Ice Cream Fridays’ returns in partnership with Adirondack Creamery!
Rochester families can access free Summer Meals at dozens of locations all summer long – and on Friday, some got an additional treat to end their week. For the third consecutive year, Adirondack Creamery launched “Ice Cream Fridays” in collaboration with Foodlink’s mobile meals initiative. Along with a healthy, scratch-made meal from the Foodlink Community […]
Foodlink, anti-hunger advocates raise awareness about Summer-EBT, other nutrition programs
Starting this summer, local children will have additional nutrition support during the summer months with the launch of a new Summer EBT program, supplementing ongoing traditional Summer Meals programming in the area. The Summer EBT program provides eligible families with food assistance during the summer months when thousands of school-aged children locally lose access to […]
New report shows dramatic spike in food insecurity in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region
New data released by Feeding America today reveals the sharpest increase in food insecurity since the Great Recession. In Foodlink’s 10-county service area, the rate climbed from 9.3% in 2021 to 12% in 2022 – the latest year of available data for the “Map the Meal Gap” study, which provides local-level estimates of food insecurity […]
Feeding New York State, Foodlink issue statement on passage of FY25 NYS budget
After months of advocacy work in pursuit of state support for the emergency food system and food-insecure New Yorkers, Feeding New York State, which comprises 10 food banks — including Foodlink — released the following statement: Feeding New York State, the state association of New York’s 10 Feeding America food banks, applauds state leaders for […]
Foodlink calls on Gov. Hochul, state leaders to adequately fund anti-hunger programs in NYS budget
Foodlink released the following statement after Gov. Kathy Hochul released her executive budget proposal in January: Governor Hochul recently unveiled her FY25 NY Executive Budget proposal, presenting significant cuts to crucial funding for the emergency food network. Cutting anti-hunger funding is damaging to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and it is particularly harmful at […]
New Monroe County poll shows local parents’ struggles with food insecurity
The Children’s Agenda, a Rochester-based advocacy group, recently announced that findings from its fourth poll of Rochester and Monroe County parents revealed widespread financial stress in the areas of food security and housing. Foodlink President & CEO Julia Tedesco joined Children’s Agenda CEO Larry Marx and other anti-poverty advocates for the announcement on Dec. 13 […]
