FOOD SECURITY
Feeding Our Families with Dignity
No family in Queens should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. For Corona, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights, some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods during the COVID pandemic, food insecurity is still an everyday reality. Feeding our families isn’t charity; it’s a moral obligation and a smart public investment. As your next State Senator, I will fight to ensure every New Yorker can access healthy, affordable food no matter who they are or where they come from. Here’s my plan:
1. SNAP for All: No One Goes Hungry Because of Immigration Status
Hunger doesn’t ask for papers. I am proud to have led legislation to expand SNAP eligibility so that immigrant New Yorkers, our neighbors, coworkers, and essential workers, can access food assistance. Excluding families based on immigration status hurts children, destabilizes households, and weakens entire communities. Food security must be universal, humane, and rooted in dignity.
2. Make SNAP Benefits Match the Reality of Today’s Costs
Right now, the minimum SNAP benefit is just $23 a month; an amount that doesn’t come close to covering groceries in New York. I’m fighting to raise the minimum benefit to $100, ensuring that seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income households can actually afford nutritious food. If we believe no one should go hungry, our policies must reflect the real cost of living.
3. Protect Families from SNAP Theft and Skimming
Too many families are having their SNAP benefits stolen through card skimming, often wiping out a month’s worth of food overnight. I’ve advanced legislation to modernize SNAP cards with secure chip technology, just like debit and credit cards, to prevent theft before it happens. Food assistance should be reliable and safe, not another source of stress.
4. Reimburse Families When Benefits Are Stolen
Even with stronger protections, families who fall victim to skimming deserve immediate relief. That’s why I’m pushing for a state reimbursement program so no household is left without food because of fraud they didn’t cause. When the system fails families, government has a responsibility to make them whole.
5. Invest in Healthy Food Access Where It’s Needed Most
Corona and East Elmhurst remain food deserts, with too few affordable grocery stores and limited access to fresh produce. I will fight for:
More healthy grocery stores and farmers’ markets in underserved neighborhoods
Strong support for local vendors and culturally appropriate food
A city-owned grocery store pilot in East Elmhurst to stabilize prices, ensure quality food access, and put people before profit
Food access is infrastructure. When we invest in it, communities thrive. This is about more than food. It’s about respect, health, and opportunity. Together, we can build a Queens where every family is nourished, every child can grow, and no one is left behind.