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Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

schools.nyc.gov

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Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#421

Post by thorwasdfasdf »

alexgodin wrote: post #118
jsonne wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As of 2018 40 million Americans received more than 57 billion dollars in SNAP. It seems like largely the US has been and will continue to keep people fed. Note also that this is just 1 Federal program and doesn't mention the multitude of other state level and city level programs that exist as well as private charities, religious organizations, etc. Please note I am not saying the system is perfect, shouldn't be expan…

The average SNAP recipient receives about $4 a day and sees their balance run out after just 17 days. This is not enough.

SNAP is supposed to be supplemental no?

As, a college student with limited funds, I noticed I could keep my daily food costs down to 1$-3$/day range by eating healthily: It's at least 4 times cheaper than eating at mcdonalds. (and this was in CA, one of the most expensive areas) https://kale.world/eating-healthy-is-four-times-cheaper-than...

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#422

Post by asdfasgasdgasdg »

jshevek wrote: post #376
asdfasgasdgasdg wrote: post #342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many people were never taught this stuff and the world does not exactly go out of its way to make it obvious how to play the food game properly. All the advertising and all the media point you to inefficient purchases. And really, I guess most poor people are doing exactly what I talked about -- buying and eating efficiently. It's the counterexamples that make the news. Also FWIW I'm not saying it's easy to be poor.…

I agree regarding obviousness, marketing, difficulties of poverty, and doable challenges. I'm not convinced about "most poor people" and exceptions making the news. I've lived in several very poor communities in several parts of the US, and observed widespread cultural norms undermining the very ideas of cost efficiency and self restraint. I realize I'm too ignorant to confidently propose systemic solutions, but on t…

I too would be interested in empirical research about the efficiency of existing purchase patterns by people with limited means, and, to the extent they are inefficient, research into interventions that might improve things.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#423

Post by boomboomsubban »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #420
alexgodin wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average SNAP recipient receives about $4 a day and sees their balance run out after just 17 days. This is not enough.

When someone runs out isn't the relevant stat. A person could receive $100/day and still run out in 17 days if they are ridiculous. The real question is can a person reasonably feed themselves on $4/day. I would submit the answer is 100% yes for the vast, vast majority of locations in the US. You can do your own web search for the litany of sites/postings on how to eat on Here's one sample site: https://www.budgetsar…

And from that sample site, they seem to have an abundance of time to exploit sales and an excess of freezer/storage space. I'm sure there are counterexamples, but I have always gotten the impression those "eat cheap" sites are run by stay at home parents with an excess of free time or people using them to generate income.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#424

Post by ball_of_lint »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #420
alexgodin wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average SNAP recipient receives about $4 a day and sees their balance run out after just 17 days. This is not enough.

When someone runs out isn't the relevant stat. A person could receive $100/day and still run out in 17 days if they are ridiculous. The real question is can a person reasonably feed themselves on $4/day. I would submit the answer is 100% yes for the vast, vast majority of locations in the US. You can do your own web search for the litany of sites/postings on how to eat on Here's one sample site: https://www.budgetsar…

You can feed yourself for $4/day if you already have: - Cooking supplies (pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc) - 1h+ / day of free time to spend on cooking and shopping for food - A fridge and pantry to store food in - An oven and/or stove to cook your food

For a significant number of people that cannot afford to feed themselves, one or more of these are compounding factors.

By providing meals instead of $, this program is much more equitable.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#425

Post by Loughla »

adrr wrote: post #417
TuringNYC wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agreed. But for those who feel the need to justify costs -- instead of looking at the good it does -- consider the capitalist benefits: - Hungry people are not productive to the economy - Hungry people are more likely to be sick and burden the healthcare system - Hungry people, if desperate enough, might steal from you - Hungry children do not learn as well, and become a future burden society needs to carry

Are people going hungry in the US? Obesity rates are at an all time high and the highest in the population below the poverty line. What metric should we look at in terms of quantifying people going hungry?

Just as a note on this - low income have higher obesity rates, because many of them live in food deserts, without access to quality produce, or other regular staples. Further, high-calorie, low nutrition foods are cheaper in the US, and therefore more accessible.

Fat people =/= healthy distribution system of food.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#426

Post by im3w1l »

sovnade wrote: post #388
im3w1l wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exposed every day picking up meals vs exposed every other week in the supermarket.

Do you realize most people in NY have very limited storage space in their kitchens, no cars, and only buy what they can carry in 1-2 bags at a time because of that?

I have been in this situation too and yes it's not the convenient thing I'd do by default, but it is possible.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#427

Post by badfrog »

econcon wrote: post #261
tren-hard wrote: post #18

One of those things I wish could out last this virus. We'd be so much better off as a society if we could at least keep our people fed. The comments in here seem a little negative currently but this is great news. Think of all the people in NYC who didn't have access to clean and regular food before the virus.

I wonder if the food will be delivered home, or you'll have to go to some store. Going to some store and lining up is very demoralising thing. If food comes to your home from normal delivery with no different labeling then for paying customers, we could achieve new moral highs.

> Going to some store and lining up is very demoralising thing.

Perhaps, but also it might be just annoying enough so that everybody who really needs the food is able to get it, and people who can afford food don't take it. If that works effectively, we're saving a lot of administrative costs and reducing barriers to entry compared to food stamps where you have to convince the government that you need it.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#428

Post by Ericson2314 »

epicureanideal wrote: post #404
rapind wrote: post #387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. "Job guarantee" program. There's a write-up here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_guarantee I also like the idea of UBI combined with a flat tax (losing progressive taxation) for it's simplicity, but imagine all the tax lawyers and accountants that would be out of a job.

It seems like a Job Guarantee program would be something that both Democrats and Republicans could support. I'm surprised it hasn't been done already (other than in the Great Depression). Questions... 1. How would that program handle people who were unwilling to work? Possible answer off the top of my head: maybe they get sent home or terminated from the program for a period of time, and the pay for the "Job Guarante…

Jobs guarantee could be popular like awful "workfare", but it's oftenstill stupidly resting on the assumption that full employment is good, and UBI without full employment is inherently inflationary.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#429

Post by badfrog »

11235813213455 wrote: post #283
tren-hard wrote: post #18

One of those things I wish could out last this virus. We'd be so much better off as a society if we could at least keep our people fed. The comments in here seem a little negative currently but this is great news. Think of all the people in NYC who didn't have access to clean and regular food before the virus.

would be better if they could deliver staple food, like rice, fruits/vegetables, rather than transformed products

A bag of uncooked rice doesn't help somebody who's homeless or has had their gas/electric shut off.

Re: Three free meals available daily for any New Yorker

#430

Post by Ericson2314 »

davinic wrote: post #291
thanksgiving wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but I'm sure you meant those in need, and not every American I personally despise means testing. There has been so much hatred spewed over "welfare queen" that I am amazed we still do means testing and we have pulled it forward to things like the New York state Excelsior program (college education for first-time college students) and even for the $1,200 COVID-19 stimulus. It is very sad. We don't less means testing…

I didn't read this comment as promoting means testing. I read it as "Even if they make the meals available to everyone, mostly just the people in need will use it". It was addressing the moral hazard risk that people often associate with these programs. NYC will be able to publish just how many people took advantage of the meals. That's the baseline to price the program out nationwide, not the total number of US citi…

Think of it like banking reserve rules. The program is officially open to everyone, but how much we cook in a day is based on demand.
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