BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
If you’ve ever moved a bit of food off your own plate just so your dog could eat, too, then you know the feeling this program is trying to address. It’s a pretty common one in New York City right now. And most people who surrender a pet to a shelter aren’t doing it lightly. They do it as the very last resort, when they’ve truly run out of ways to make it work.
NYC has put $500,000 toward the problem. The city is funding 22 food pantries across all five boroughs to stock and distribute free pet food, with supplies expected to start arriving within about two weeks.
Teddy and everyone like him
Cassandra, a Brooklyn resident, has a three-year-old Shih Tzu named Teddy, who she’s had since he was two months old. “Sometimes I have to sacrifice a little of my food that way he doesn’t go hungry, until I can get more food for him,” she said. At The Campaign Against Hunger in Brooklyn, pantry director Tamara Dawson has watched the same dynamic for years. “They bring their pets with them and are feeding them online because they have been without,” she said.
The organization already offers free pet food to clients, but the supply has always depended on chasing grants and donors. The city funding makes that a little less precarious.
What happened after SNAP cuts
St. John’s Bread and Life in Brooklyn received a $17,000 voucher through the initiative. Staff said demand has grown since many clients saw their SNAP benefits reduced, something that moved through the whole household budget, pets included.
“The affordability crisis affects every member of a family, including the pets we love,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “No New Yorker should have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.”
Animal welfare groups have tracked the connection between financial hardship and shelter surrender for years. Getting pet food to families early is a pretty practical way to keep that from happening.
Where to find free pet food in NYC
Here are all 22 participating locations:
Bronx
– Part of the Solution: 2759 Webster Ave., 10458
– New York Common Pantry: 1290 Hoe Ave., 10459
– Davidson Community Center: 2038 Davidson Ave., 10453
– The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center: 3067 Kingsbridge Terrace, 10463
Queens
– First United Methodist Church of Jamaica: 162-10 Highland Ave., 11432
– River Fund: 89-11 Lefferts Boulevard, 11418
– Yeshua Worldwide Ministries Food Pantry: 7911 Caldwell Ave., 11379
– Hour Children Community Outreach: 36-49 11th Street, 11106
Brooklyn
– Community Help in Park Slope: 200 Fourth Ave., 11217
– Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty: 5361 Preston Court, 11234
– On the Go Relief: 2832 Fulton Street, 11207
– St. John’s Bread and Life Food Pantry: 795 Lexington Ave., 11221
– The Campaign Against Hunger: 2004 Fulton Street, 11233
– YMCA Community Market: 2980 West 29th Street, 11224
Manhattan
– Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Pantry: 296 Ninth Ave., 10001
– New York Common Pantry: 8 East 109th Street, 10029
– St. Clemens Food Pantry: 423 West 46th Street, 10036
– The Father’s Heart Ministries: 543-545 East 11th Street, 10009
– The Lower Eastside Girls Club: 402 East 8th Street, 10009
– Trinity’s Services and Food for the Homeless: 602 East 9th Street, 10009
Staten Island
– Project Hospitality: 205 Canal Street, 10304
– Feeding with TLC: 309 St. Paul’s Ave., 10304
Call ahead if you’re not sure what to bring or whether your nearest location is stocked yet. And if someone you know could use this, it’s the kind of thing that’s good to pass along.
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