NYC Food Resources Guide
To help connect community members in need with food resources, the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center created NYC Neighborhood Food Resource Guides for each NYC neighborhood.
View the guides (opens in a new tab)Support Services
Community School Supports
Trusted community resources for P.S. 83 families — food, public assistance, legal services, and resources for talking with children about race.
Support for our community
P.S. 83 Luis Muñoz Rivera shares trusted community resources to help our families meet everyday needs and find support beyond the classroom. The guides below connect East Harlem families with food assistance, public benefits, legal services, and resources for talking with children about race.
Each resource opens in a new tab on the organization's own website. If you need help finding, understanding, or applying for any of these supports, reach out to the main office or our Parent Coordinator.
Food Resources
Ways to find groceries, meals, and food assistance across New York City.
Food Assistance
The City of New York is providing assistance to New Yorkers in need of food assistance. You can visit NYC311 to learn more about food services that are available.
Visit NYC311 (opens in a new tab)World Central Kitchen
WCK distributing meals in The Bronx, Queens, Harlem, Brooklyn & New Jersey.
View locations (opens in a new tab)Invisible Hands
Invisible Hands is a group of engaged volunteers working to bring groceries and supplies to those in high-risk demographics. They focus most prominently on the elderly, disabled, and immunocompromised, but are available to help anyone in need.
Request a delivery (opens in a new tab)Obtaining Public Assistance
The New York City Human Resources Administration / Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS) provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to help them reach independence.
You can find out if you are eligible for Public Assistance, also known as Cash Assistance. You can apply for cash benefits and participate in programs that prepare you for self-sufficiency. Most benefits are provided on an electronic card that is used like an ATM card.
Eligible families may receive up to 60 months of federally funded Cash Assistance under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF). Single individuals without children and families who have already received Cash Assistance for 60 months may receive benefits under the New York State Safety Net Assistance Program.
Caregivers who are not foster parents but are financially responsible for children in their care may also be eligible for Cash Assistance.
Temporary benefits include:
- A cash grant that includes a shelter/rent portion
- Utility assistance grants
- Additional money to assist with other expenses
You can learn more about eligibility and the application process, and check your case status, through the Public Assistance (Cash Assistance) page. With ACCESS HRA you can apply for some HRA benefits, submit documents, and manage your case online.
Contact HRA/DSS
- Phone
- (718) 557-1399
- About HRA
- nyc.gov/hra
- Getting started
- ACCESS HRA resources
Legal Services
Family Justice Centers
New York City Family Justice Centers are available by phone to provide immediate crisis support and advocacy. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., they answer FJC phone lines and connect clients to Community Based Organizations and partner agencies for vital services including legal consultations, counseling sessions, safety planning, and case management. During those hours, survivors can reach each FJC directly by phone:
- Brooklyn718-250-5113
- The Bronx718-508-1220
- Manhattan212-602-2800
- Queens718-575-4545
- Staten Island718-697-4300
During evenings and weekends, victims and survivors can access help by calling NYC's 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline (800-621-4673), or by visiting the NYC HOPE Resource Directory online.
NYC HOPE Resource Directory (opens in a new tab)LIFT
Justice for All. One family at a time.
Helping New Yorkers find justice in Family Court since 1996.
Learn more (opens in a new tab)Anti-Racism Resources
Guidance for parents and caregivers on talking with young children about race.
Talking About Race with Young Children (NPR)
NPR offers a 20 minute radio story for parents and caregivers on how to handle conversations about race, racism, diversity and inclusion, even with very young children.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)The Child Mind Institute
Advice to parents on talking to children about race and violence in America.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)Raising Luminaries — Anti-Racism 101
Specific advice for caregivers in “Anti-Racism 101: Starting to Talk About Race.”
Open resource (opens in a new tab)Sesame Street and CNN Town Hall
Sesame Street and CNN host a town hall addressing race with young children.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)Anti-Racism Children's Media
Book lists and media to read and share with children of all ages.
Fabienne Doucet's #KidLit Resources
Fabienne Doucet, an Associate Professor of Early Childhood and Urban Education at NYU, shares a resource list geared at engaging children in complex conversations around equity and social justice.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)HealthLine Parenthood
A list of anti-racism books and other media for parents and children as young as infants.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)Raising Luminaries — Black Women Makers
A list of children's books written by Black women and nonbinary authors.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)A Kids Book About Racism
A book with a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens.
Open resource (opens in a new tab)Learning at home
Let's Learn NYC!
Let's Learn NYC! is an educational public television program for children in grades 3K through second grade, which offers lessons to supplement remote learning. Targeted for ages 3 through 8, the age-appropriate curricular content is aligned to DOE standards and lessons for early childhood education.
Episodes include a mix of foundational reading skills, literacy, math, social studies, and science. Literacy lessons focus on foundational skills such as phonics and fluency, reading vocabulary and comprehension, and writing. Each episode includes a “story time” that helps students connect literacy instruction to important facets of their lives.
The hosts of Let's Learn NYC! are DOE instructional leaders and coaches with expertise in teaching young learners. The program airs Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Archived videos include English and Spanish captions.
You can livestream the episodes and find supplemental learning materials at thirteen.org/letslearn.
Need help connecting to a resource?
Our team can help you find the right support for your family. Reach out and we will point you in the right direction.