| Qudsiya Naqui
Intern
in Action, October 2004
Urban Justice Center
Urban Justice Center Research: Why Do New Yorkers Eligible for Food Stamps Fail to Apply?
 As an intern at the Urban Justice Center, Qudsiya Naqui, a junior, discovered first hand how many people have been "lost" in the New York City welfare system. Joining researchers from the center, she spent the summer reaching low income New Yorkers by telephone and in home visits to find out why they have not applied for food stamps, even though they are eligible.
"There were so many stories," Naqui says. "I heard from immigrants who didn't go into the welfare office because someone outside said that they would be deported."
Following an interview guide that she helped to pre-test and polish, Naqi and others gathered the stories in a systematic way. And now, this fall, she is helping to analyze data to find out why people who are eligible for food stamps fail to apply for them and what can be done to make sure all of those who are eligible receive the help they need.
"A lot of things are happening,' Naqui says, "but what are the trends?"
This question drives Naqui's research because when all the data has been analyzed, she and others will help put together a report for the New York State Human Resources Administration. The report will recommend ways to improve the system so many more eligible New Yorkers do not fall through the cracks of the food stamp program. The project has been rewarding for Naqui specifically because she believes it can bring about change.
The research project was initiated by the Urban Justice Center, working with community based organizations, the Community Food Resource Center (CFRC), and several other not for profits.
Naqui, who comes from New Brunswick, N.J., is pursuing a combined major in political science and human rights and plans to go to law school. She says the internship and research has helped inform her academic work.
" By working on the food card access study, I learned a lot about the right to food and issues of nutrition and food security -- these problems not only confront New Yorkers, but millions of people all over the world," she says.
The work reinforced her goal to pursue public interest law, either in the domestic or international arena.
" This particular study is helping me to see these broader concepts played out in a real-life setting," she says.
This semester, Naqui's internship is funded by the Marsteller Internship Grant through Barnard's Office of Career Development. Over the summer, her work was funded by the Everett Public Service Internship Program, which also supports weekly lectures on issues related to public service. She attended lectures about working in not-for-profit community, human rights and other organizations.
—Elissa Matsueda
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