As NY1 continues to look at ways that New Yorkers can help the needy during this season of giving, a new report released Tuesday stresses the problem of hunger in the city.

The city's food pantries and soup kitchens are finding a bigger need for supplies this year, thanks to the struggling economy and cuts in government funding.

"Last year it was truly hard," said Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Joel Berg. "We said 59 percent of the agencies in New York City didn't have enough food to meet the growing demand; this year, it's 69 percent."

According to the survey, more than 72 percent of emergency food providers surveyed reported a decrease in government money and food in the past year. This while they reported serving 28-percent more people than the year before, continuing a trend; last year there was a 20-percent increase over 2006.

"We said last year the government cuts were starting, and the situation had gone from bad to worse," said Berg. "This year, we say the situation has gone from worse to even worse."

Bowery Mission Vice President Brian Johansson says the holiday time is especially demanding.

"Last year we served about 2,600 meals on Thanksgiving; this year, we're planning for almost more than 4,000 meals just because we know the economy is tough and more families coming in and more women with children so we are just trying to be ready for that," said Johansson, whose organization served more than 450,000 meals to the hungry last year.

At the Cabrini Immigrant Services food pantry on the Lower East Side, organizers are feeling the pinch.

"The truth is, during our regular distribution, we have had to close early because we have run out of food," said Christina Baal of Cabrini Immigrant Services.

"I came all the way from Far Rockaway, Queens," said one Queens woman. "They didn't have any food there this month."

If you'd like to donate food or money to help the hungry, contact the Bowery Mission at Bowery.org or the New York City Coalition Against Hunger at NYCCAH.org.