Brookdale executive director Ruth Finkelstein took part in an online conversation on May 5, hosted by the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center, on how the city’s food system is handling the COVID-19 pandemic. As quoted in a related article in the Gotham Gazette, Dr. Finkelstein said, “There were already 1 in 10 older adults who were hungry in New York. Then with a really very strong recommendation that people over 70 not leave the house, you have this whole new difficulty obtaining food.” While senior center members and people enrolled in food assistance programs are visible in the system, individuals who were independent before the crisis may fall through the cracks, she said.
The panel, which also discussed nutrition standards and the situation faced by local farmers and food-related business owners, included Joel Berg of Hunger Free America, Commissioner Grace Bonilla of NYC’s Human Resources Administration, Tony Hillery of Harlem Grown, Michael Hurwitz of GrowNYC Food Access and Agriculture, and Kate MacKenzie of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy.
