ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo is launching “Help Your Neighbor,” a statewide initiative to urge businesses and residents to give directly to regional food banks this holiday season.

Some $1 million in grants will be given to eight food banks across the state, in addition to $620,000 in grants for emergency food-relief organizations in communities hit by recent flooding and storms, the governor said.

As a result of bad weather this year, some New York farms have struggled to provide goods to food banks. Additionally, many donors have scaled back their giving due to tough economic conditions, Cuomo said.

The Help Your Neighbor initiative encourages New York residents and businesses to donate resources to help restock and fill the shelves of food banks.