Hunger Relief Helped by Charitable Giving Act

America's Second Harvest Lauds Ways and Means Committee For Action on H.R. 7

Chicago, IL -- The Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives can provide important hunger-relief assistance today by adopting the Charitable Giving Act of 2003 (H.R. 7), a measure introduced by Congressman Roy Blunt, which will create incentives to allow every food producer to deduct the costs of food donated to hunger-relief charities.

"The Committee's vote today is a good step towards helping hungry Americans," said Robert Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest. "The food donation tax change in H.R. 7 will result is a win-win for all parties - farmers, small businesses, charities, and most importantly, hungry Americans."

The struggling U.S. economy and uncertainties of the war on terrorism have resulted in increased demands on America's Second Harvest network of hunger-relief charities across the country. Passage of this measure will generate new food donations that will help meet the increased demand by encouraging family farmers, ranchers and restaurant owners to donate more food to America's Second Harvest's network of hunger-relief agencies across the country.

The measure is a scaled-back version of the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act, originally introduced by Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in the Senate and Rep. Richard Baker in the House, and endorsed by President Bush in his 2003 and 2004 budget recommendations. This provision would provide a new tax incentive for farmers, small businesses and independent restaurant owners, making in-kind food donations a financially viable option. The measure would allow all food donors, regardless of the types of business they operate, to take a charitable tax deduction for that donation.

The growing demand for emergency food assistance has in too many instances outstripped the food resources of local charities. A 2001 study of America's Second Harvest food showed that demand at emergency feeding sites had increase 9% since the last survey, conducted in 1997. A study released by the US Conference of Mayors last winter reported a 19 percent increase in the number of people seeking emergency food assistance.

America's Second Harvest feeds hungry Americans through 50,000 community-based agencies served by more than 200 affiliated food banks and food rescue operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 96 billion pounds of edible food are wasted and dumped in landfills each year. America Second Harvest estimates that if one percent of that food was re-directed from landfills to local charities instead of dumped, it would nearly double the entire food distribution throughout the America's Second Harvest network to people in need.