Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that more than $8 million in new grants have been given to food banks and emergency food assistance organizations across New York as part of a broader effort to combat food insecurity statewide.
Fifty-nine providers across the state will receive up to $8.3 million from the New York Providing Local Access to Essential Sustenance program to expand their storage, improve food distribution and upgrade facilities, according to a news release from Hochul’s office.
The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York administers the NY PLATES grants in partnership with the state Department of Health’s nutrition division. Nearly 273,000 New Yorkers have lost access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits since July 2025, when President Donald J. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
Hochul noted in the announcement that the grants were awarded amid federal funding cuts for nutrition assistance programs.
“No New Yorker should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” Hochul said in the release. “As Washington cuts critical food assistance programs, New York is stepping up to help the organizations that families depend on every day.”
Nearly $1 million will go to food banks in the Capital Region, and $970,000 will be given to food banks in the mid-Hudson Valley. A combined $368,000 was awarded to organizations in the Mohawk Valley and North Country.
The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham plans to use a $400,000 grant to upgrade its roof, cooler and freezer, and storage facilities, according to the release.
Capital Roots Inc., based in Troy, will receive nearly $121,000 for new equipment. Several other food assistance organizations in Albany and Saratoga counties will use their grants to renovate or purchase vehicles or freezer and food-handling equipment.
In Orange County, Kinyan Torah will use $125,000 to purchase and install equipment that will let the group expand its ability to prepare and distribute kosher meals. The Grace Episcopal Church will install a walk-in cooler and freezer to increase its storage capacity at its Middletown facility.
“Food banks and emergency food organizations are cornerstones of local communities across the state, ensuring no family goes hungry,” state Health Commissioner James McDonald said in the release. “These investments will help strengthen the organizations that New Yorkers rely on for food assistance.”
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