"Victory Against Hunger" Award Winners!

Contact:
Jyl Hall, 202/547-7022 x18

Washington, DC -- June 25, 2002 -- For the ninth consecutive year, Victory Wholesale Grocers of Springboro, OH, and Boca Raton, FL, and the D.C. based Congressional Hunger Center have teamed up to recognize local anti-hunger organizations that have worked effectively to fight hunger in their communities. Every member of the Congress was given the opportunity to nominate organizations in their own community to receive one of the $1,000 prizes that are underwritten by Victory Wholesale Grocers. The Congressional Hunger Center received 50 nominations and made 20 awards. This year's competition marks a total of $120,000 that has been awarded through the Victory Against Hunger Awards Program.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) "The Victory Against Hunger Award winners are living examples of men and women who are citizens and not just spectators. Every one involved with these local anti-hunger organizations is dedicated to getting food into the hands of those who might otherwise go without. I am proud to add my name to the list of people giving them well-deserved praise for all they are doing to end hunger in their communities and across our country."

The award selection committee consisted of Stanley Garnett, Director of Child Nutrition division of USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (Alexandria, VA); Ellen Teller, Director of Government Affairs, Food Research and Action Center (Washington, DC); Max Finberg, Office Representative Tony Hall (Washington, DC); Jyl Hall, CHC's Project Director, Victory Against Hunger Awards (Washington, DC); Brooke Evans, Leland/Emerson Hunger Fellows, Department of Justice Weed & Seed Office (Washington, DC); Ed Cooney, CHC's Executive Director (Washington DC).

The panel was specifically looking to highlight organizations that best fulfilled this year's theme: "Fighting Hunger through Maximizing Use of the Summer Food Service Program" This theme was chosen because nearly fourteen million children are eligible for, but not participating in, the Summer Food Service Program. An example of the high quality of work exhibited by these awardees is Food for People in Eureka, CA. Through creative collaboration and partnerships with individual volunteers and community organizations as well as the local bus transportation service, Food for People successfully served over 11,000 free sack lunches at 14 different sites last summer as part of its SFSP.

The annual "Victory Against Hunger Awards" were established by David Kantor, President of Victory Wholesale Grocers, to recognize outstanding organizations in the United States that work to end hunger at the local level. Nine years ago Kanto teamed up with Congressional Hunger Center Chairman, Rep. Tony Hall, because each believed strongly in the value of keeping members of Congress involved in solving the problem of hunger. Under the Hunger Awards program, local agencies may only be nominated by a member of Congress.