Lines for hot meals and free groceries are growing longer, New York City nonprofits say, citing a surge in recent months reminiscent of the worst days of the pandemic when crowds wrapped around the block.

The Salvation Army says they’ve served 53% more meals to New Yorkers in the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same time the year prior. Meanwhile, the Food Bank for New York City is seeing an 8% uptick in average monthly visits since February.

Food pantry providers point to the end of a pandemic-spurred food assistance benefit that gave people extra cash to buy groceries, a record backlog at a city agency delaying public assistance checks and skyrocketing food prices for the growing demand.

“When the SNAP benefit is less or is delayed, then you start to really have problems on top of existing problems,” said Stephen Grimaldi, executive director of the New York Common Pantry. He said they served 30% more hot meals in fiscal year 2023 than the year before.

City data shows more than half the applications for cash assistance and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP, weren’t processed on time between last July through June of this year, the worst rates reported in at least 10 years, Gothamist previously reported. The city’s Department of Social Services previously said they’re working to reduce delays but are facing an unprecedented number of applications amid staff attrition.

Read the full story on Gothamist.com