Meng Seeks Coronavirus Relief for Bodegas, Ethnic Grocery Stores and Small Independent Supermarkets in NYC

May 3, 2020
Press Release

Congresswoman leads letter to House leaders calling for assistance to be included in next COVID-19 relief package

QUEENS, NY – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that she led members of the New York Congressional Delegation in a letter to House leaders calling for the next coronavirus relief bill to provide critical and needed assistance for bodegas, ethnic grocery stores and small independent supermarkets, many of which are located throughout New York City.
In her correspondence, which was signed by 12 other New York members of Congress, Meng seeks direct help for these establishments by requesting grants for refrigeration units, connections with farms, hazard pay for frontline employees, and exempting wages from federal income taxes. Her letter also seeks assistance for members of the public who shop at these retailers which would in-turn help those businesses. These requests include increased funding for food assistance, providing stimulus checks to individuals with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers and allowing unemployment insurance regardless of citizenship status.
"New York City has approximately 13,000 bodegas, ethnic grocery stores and other small independent supermarkets," said Meng. "They serve a critical need for many communities in Queens and across New York City and cater to specific cultural food preferences for the neighborhoods they serve. They too are feeling the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis and deserve relief. We must not forget about them as Congress prepares to work on its next stimulus package."
The text of Meng's letter is below and a copy of the correspondence can be viewed here.
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi
U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
U.S. House of Representatives
H-204, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy:
We write on behalf of the approximately 13,000 bodegas, ethnic grocery stores, and other small independent supermarkets in New York City, as well as the many millions of families who rely on them. We strongly request that the next stimulus package address the millions of Americans who were food insecure before COVID-19, and the millions who will be driven into hunger because of it.
Small grocers provide a unique access point to ensure that those who are food insecure can purchase healthy foods and fresh produce. While major grocery chains are struggling to keep up with panic buying of toilet paper, paper towels, and other staples, New Yorkers are turning to their community stores for these critical supplies.
We ask that funding be included in the next stimulus package to support:
  • Grants to directed toward the purchase of refrigeration units to store fresh produce and to offset the increase in utility costs as a result of refrigeration;
  • The facilitation of links between farms in rural areas and small grocers in order to create new points of sale for local meat, produce, and dairy. This would not only address food insecurity in urban districts, but would also support farmers who are so desperately in need of relief as the restaurants that they would normally sell have temporarily or permanently closed;
  • Authorization for a national Healthy Bodega Campaign, based on New York City's successful program, which aims to boost the availability of and demand for healthy foods in neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty and chronic diseases;
  • Increased funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to address the food needs of more than 40 million food insecure Americans;
  • Support hazard pay for frontline grocery store employees;
  • Exemption of wages earned by workers in the grocery industry and their suppliers from 2020 federal income tax;
  • Ensure that the stimulus checks provided to Americans with Social Security numbers are retroactively provided to people with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN); and
  • Unemployment Insurance for those who qualify for it regardless of citizenship status.
Community grocery stores are a lifeline to their neighborhoods, who cater to specific cultural food preferences. As such, we urge you to help strengthen this critical community asset in the next relief package.
Sincerely,