Jennifer Jones Austin is one of the most pre-eminent New Yorkers in the field of fighting poverty and hunger. The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies brings together grassroots and community groups to help bring New Yorkers, especially New Yorkers of color, greater opportunity when it comes to education, jobs and equality.

She joins In Focus to speak about the FPWA’s work in fighting hunger.  Jones Austin talks about bringing together organizations to put their skills to work where they’re most needed. But she also speaks to what is lacking.

She says while the local, state and federal governments are doing some work to end hunger, it is clearly not enough, as the pandemic exposed our weaknesses when it comes to keeping New Yorkers housed and fed. While the number of food insecure New Yorkers — or people who truly do not know where their next meal is coming from — has nearly doubled, the number of food insecure children has increased from one in five to one in four.

She makes a passionate case about why more work needs to be done, and more funding needs to be provided, to end hunger.