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CPC Calls for the Passage of the PIE Food Security Package

Mar
14

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: March 14th, 2026

Press Contacts: 

Alice Du, Director of Communications | (212) 792-4585 | adu@cpc-nyc.org

CPC Organizes a Rally on Pi Day to Demand Passage of the PIE Food Security Package

On Pi Day, advocates, community leaders, and state legislators gathered in New York City to call for the passage of the Protect, Invest, and Expand (PIE) Food Security Package, urging state leaders to prioritize hunger prevention and food access in the final New York State budget.

The event, held at CPC One, brought together community members, anti-hunger advocates, and policymakers for a community gathering followed by a press conference highlighting the urgent need for stronger food security policies across the state.

As communities across New York continue to face rising food costs and increased demand at food pantries, speakers emphasized that addressing hunger must be a top priority for state lawmakers. Organizers used the symbolism of Pi Day to highlight the need to ensure every New Yorker receives their fair “slice” of the resources needed to put food on the table. With promising budget allocations in the recent release of the one-house budgets, advocates and State leaders are calling on for ensuring that these investments remain in the final adopted budget and things that were not included be included in the final adopted budget. 

The Protect, Invest, and Expand (PIE) Food Security Package takes a comprehensive approach to food security by strengthening protections for benefits, investing in frontline hunger prevention programs, and expanding access to food assistance for vulnerable communities.

The Protect, Invest, and Expand Food Security Package calls for the state to:

Protect existing nutrition benefits to preventing disruptions in food access, including:

  • EBT Card Transition: Serrano (S1465) & González-Rojas (A699)
  • SNAP and Cash Assistance Fraud Victims Compensation Fund: Myrie (S403) and Mitaynes (A3578)

Sustained investment in state nutrition programs is essential as federal support is reduced and demand for emergency food continues to grow. This includes:

  • Support for the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program at $8.5 million
  • Funding Double Up Food Bucks New York at $6 million 
  • Funding the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program at $75 million, and Nourish New York at $75 million. 
  • Passing statewide reporting bills to better track unmet needs, informing future investment, including the Annual Hunger Reporting for the Department of Health (Hinchey S8553 / Woerner A9168) and the Annual Hunger Reporting for the Department of Agriculture, sponsored by AM Anderson (Awaiting Senate Sponsor)

As HR1 reduces or eliminates access to federal nutrition benefits for certain populations, New York must also act to expand food assistance and address resulting gaps in coverage: 

  • Raising the SNAP minimum benefit to $100 (May S665 / González-Rojas A1318), which is estimated to cost the State $100.1 million. 
  • Investing $244 million to protect food assistance for immigrant households, including 41,000 newly excluded refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees, and others, as well as extending benefits to 65,000 noncitizen households with children as recommended by the Governor’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC).

 

QUOTES: 

“Ending hunger in New York takes collective action, and the strong turnout for the March 14—Pi Day—Day of Action made clear just how many New Yorkers are ready to move this fight forward. Advocates, providers, and community leaders from across the state came together to call for bold solutions that ensure every family can access the food they need. I’m grateful to everyone who raised their voices in support of the Protect, Invest, and Expand Food Security Package, which would increase the SNAP minimum benefit, protect EBT access, and continue investing in programs that connect New Yorkers with healthy, affordable food. This growing movement is sending a clear message to Albany: no one in our state should go hungry, and we must continue working together to build a future where every New Yorker can live with dignity,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.

"SNAP skimming is stealing food directly from the tables of families across New York. Parents, seniors, and working people are being forced to stand at grocery store registers with empty carts because their benefits were stolen through no fault of their own," says Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes. "That is unacceptable. I’m encouraged that the Senate one-house budget includes funding for a SNAP and Cash Assistance Fraud Victims Compensation Fund (A3578/S403), but our work is not done. I will continue fighting to make sure it is included in the final enacted budget so that families who lose their benefits to theft are made whole. At a time when food prices remain high and federal support is uncertain, New York must step up to protect families and ensure no one goes hungry because their benefits were stolen."

“At POTS, we see every day how food security is the foundation of stability for Bronx families. Policies that protect vital programs, invest in nutrition and local food systems, and expand access for those facing the greatest barriers help keep our communities nourished, healthy, and strong. On Pi Day, we are sharing a slice with elected representatives and community members who support these policies to highlight that secure food access is part of the solution for a better tomorrow,” said Christina Hanson, Executive Director, Part of the Solution.

“On Pi Day, we’re reminded that every New Yorker deserves their fair slice of opportunity and security, and that starts with having enough food on the table. The Protect, Invest, and Expand Food Security Package is about making sure our neighbors don’t fall through the cracks by safeguarding vital benefits, investing in the frontline organizations responding to hunger and expanding access to food assistance. We’re encouraged by the commitments reflected in the one-house budgets, and we urge state leaders to ensure these investments are preserved and strengthened in the final adopted budget,” said Wayne Ho, President & CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC).

“At United Way of New York City, we believe that access to food is a basic human need and right, not a privilege. Across the state, food pantries and soup kitchens are working tirelessly to meet demand that has surged since before the pandemic, and the emergency food network cannot solve hunger alone,” said Cheryl Huber, Vice President, Food and Benefits Access at United Way of New York City. “By passing the Protect, Invest, and Expand Food Security Package, New York can strengthen the policies that address the root causes of food insecurity and ensure every family across the state can access the food they need to live healthy, dignified lives.”

"Red Hook Initiative is proud to stand alongside our allies, community members, and elected leaders to call for comprehensive investment in New York’s food benefits. No family should have to wonder where their next meal will come from. In Red Hook, we are already seeing the effects of federal policy changes to SNAP, rising food costs, and the growing threat of EBT theft on our community. New York must make sustained, meaningful investments in nutrition assistance and hunger prevention programs so that families can meet their basic needs and communities like Red Hook can not only survive, but thrive," said Michael Partis, Executive Director, Red Hook Initiative.

 

Press Coverage: Sing Tao Daily 

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ABOUT CPC

Founded in 1965, CPC is a social services organization that creates social change. Building on our historic legacy and ongoing dedication to the Chinese American community, CPC advances the social and economic progress of immigrant and low-income communities of New York through services, resources, and advocacy.

 

關於華策會

華策會成立於1965年，是一個致力於推動社會變革的社會服務機構。秉承深厚的歷史傳承與對華裔美國社區的持續承諾，華策會透過多元服務、資源援助與公共倡議，促進紐約移民及低收入社區的社會與經濟發展。

 

ACERCA DE CPC

Fundada en 1965, CPC es una organización de servicios sociales que promueve el cambio social. Basándose en su legado histórico y su compromiso continuo con la comunidad chino-estadounidense, CPC impulsa el progreso social y económico de las comunidades inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos de Nueva York a través de servicios, recursos y acciones de incidencia.