The Hidden Face of Hunger on Long Island

New ALICE Report underscores growing financial hardship among working families.

September is Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness that hunger can affect anyone, including working individuals and families.

At Island Harvest Food Bank, we see the changing face of hunger across Long Island every day. More parents, seniors, veterans, and working adults are turning to food pantries because the rising cost of housing, groceries, childcare, transportation, and health care has made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

Now, the latest United Way ALICE® Report https://www.unitedwayli.org/ALICE2025 confirms what our network of more than 300 food pantries and community partners has been experiencing firsthand: financial hardship is affecting far more Long Islanders than traditional poverty statistics suggest.

What Is ALICE?

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

These are households with incomes above the federal poverty level but below what it actually costs to afford basic necessities where they live.

ALICE households include many of the people who keep our communities running:

• Childcare workers
• Home health aides
• Retail employees
• Restaurant workers
• Teacher assistants
• Health care support staff
• Service industry employees

They are working, often full-time, yet remain one unexpected expense away from needing help putting food on the table.

One in Three Long Island Households Are Struggling

According to the 2025 United Way ALICE Report, which analyzes 2023 household data, nearly 354,716 Long Island households – approximately one in three – live below the ALICE Threshold.

That means 33% of households cannot consistently afford essential expenses, including:

• Housing
• Food
• Childcare
• Transportation
• Health care
• Technology
• Taxes

On Long Island, the cost of living continues to outpace wage growth.

The report estimates that:

• A family of four needs approximately $137,000 annually to meet a basic survival budget.
• A single adult requires more than $46,000 per year simply to cover essential living expenses.

These budgets represent basic needs, not vacations, savings goals, or luxury spending.

Why the ALICE Report Matters

Traditional poverty measures often fail to capture the true cost of living in high-cost communities like Long Island.

The federal poverty level determines eligibility for many assistance programs, but it does not reflect today's housing costs, childcare expenses, transportation, or food prices.

The ALICE methodology offers a more realistic picture by calculating a Household Survival Budget for every community using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other federal and state sources.

Households are categorized as:

• Living below the Federal Poverty Level
• ALICE (earning above poverty but below the local survival budget)
• Above the ALICE Threshold

This approach explains why so many people seeking food assistance are employed but still struggle financially.

Why Working Families Are Turning to Food Pantries

When families must choose between paying rent, purchasing medications, covering childcare costs, or buying groceries, food is often the first expense they reduce.

That is why food banks have become an essential part of the safety net for thousands of working households.

These are not isolated situations.

They are our neighbors.

They are parents dropping children off at school before heading to work.

They are veterans living on fixed incomes.

They are seniors choosing between prescriptions and groceries.

They are coworkers doing everything they can to support their families.

What Island Harvest Is Seeing

Island Harvest Food Bank is already experiencing increased demand throughout our network.

Recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are expected to reduce food assistance for many households, meaning even more Long Islanders may need help accessing nutritious food in the months ahead.

Hunger Action Month Is a Call to Action

Hunger Action Month reminds us that ending hunger requires all of us.

Whether you:

• Make a financial donation
• Volunteer your time https://www.islandharvest.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/
• Organize a food drive https://www.islandharvest.org/ways-to-give/food-and-fund-drives/
• Advocate for policies that strengthen food security https://www.islandharvest.org/take-action/advocate/
• Raise awareness in your community https://www.islandharvest.org/subscribe/

Every action helps ensure our neighbors have access to the nutritious food they need.

Together, we can help nourish Long Island while working toward a future where no one experiences hunger.

About the ALICE Report

The 2025 United Way ALICE Report is the publication year. The Long Island findings are based primarily on 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other federal and state data sources.

Unlike the federal poverty measure, the ALICE methodology calculates what it actually costs to live in each community by estimating a Household Survival Budget that includes housing, food, childcare, transportation, health care, technology, taxes, and other essential expenses.

Help End Hunger on Long Island

This Hunger Action Month, the ALICE Report sends a clear message: hunger is not simply a poverty issue – it is increasingly a financial stability issue affecting working families.

At Island Harvest Food Bank, we remain committed to ensuring every Long Islander has access to nutritious food while addressing the root causes of hunger.

You can make a difference today by donating, volunteering, organizing a food drive, or advocating for stronger food security across our region.

Learn more or get involved at: www.islandharvest.org