America's Second Harvest Recognizes Fourth Annual National Hunger Awareness Day

Nation's largest hunger-relief organization joins forces to fight hunger in America

CHICAGO --- May 31, 2005 --- On Tuesday, June 7, America's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network joins all domestic hunger-relief organizations and tens of thousands of supporters nationwide to recognize National Hunger Awareness Day 2005.
 
Across the country, advocates are planning more than 14,000 events on June 7 in observance of National Hunger Awareness Day, a day of unity for everyone in the United States to come together and show their support for one of the most solvable social issues in this country— feeding the 36 million Americans who are hungry or at risk of hunger.  From "bell ringing" ceremonies at stock exchanges in numerous cities including NASDAQ in New York; to One Big Table Potluck dinners in DeKalb, Illinois; to a county-wide food drive in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado; each event is just one place setting at a nationwide table that is being set by communities across America.

“It is a profound tragedy that so many Americans are experiencing hunger, especially our children,” said Robert Forney, president and C.E.O. of America’s Second Harvest, “We have a moral obligation to feed everyone who is risk of hunger. We also have the means to forever end hunger in America.”

By visiting www.hungerday.org, individuals, corporations, community groups, and organizations can learn more about how to get involved at both the national and local levels.

National Events

Lobby Day: On that Tuesday in Washington D.C., hundreds of hunger-relief supporters from around the country will visit legislators on Capitol Hill, urging them to support legislation that helps to feed America’s food-insecure population and bring an end to hunger in America. Recent legislation includes the Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005, introduced on May 25.

The Act, which has obtained bipartisan support, was created to increase federal funding available to local organizations working to reduce hunger in communities nationwide and  to establish an ambitious commitment to end hunger in the United States by 2015.  The bill preserves current funding levels for federal food programs and protects nutrition and hunger-relief initiatives.  Additionally, it directs the Census Bureau to collect annual data on domestic food-insecurity and the United States Department of Agriculture to prepare annual reports on the status of efforts to eliminate domestic hunger and make recommendations for reducing hunger.

The Rally Against Hunger: Prior to their visits on the Hill, supporters from all 50 states and Puerto Rico will gather at Washington's MCI Center for the "Rally Against Hunger," a national pep rally beginning at 10:30 a.m.  to build excitement prior to their Congressional visits later in the day.  Featured musicians set to energize the crowd include Santana featuring Salvador Santana, the son of Grammy award-winning artist Carlos Santana.

Interfaith Convocation: Forty-three religious and spiritual leaders will gather at the Washington National Cathedral for an interfaith convocation on Monday, June 6, the eve of National Hunger Awareness Day. This service is expected to be the largest congregation of faith leaders in the history of the Washington National Cathedral.  Singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is also scheduled to perform.

One Big Table Potlucks: As a way for everyone to participate in National Hunger Awareness Day, the America's Second Harvest Network launched the One Big Table Potluck Program to raise funds and awareness about hunger in communities nationwide.  The Potluck Program is a national grassroots movement designed to identify the best cooks around the country, while collecting recipes for a national recipe contest and raising funds to help hungry Americans.

Between now and August 15, 2005, thousands of Potlucks are expected to take place nationwide. Any individual or organization can host a Potluck at home, church, work or other locations by inviting friends, family and colleagues to attend a Potluck, submit a recipe and raise funds. Donations raised at Potlucks will benefit the America's Second Harvest Network.  At each Potluck, the host will identify a best recipe, which will then be submitted into a national recipe contest.  A selection of winning recipes from each contest category – Heirloom, Regional, Personal Best or Stone Soup – will be considered for publication in One Big Table: An American Cookbook, written by food writer Molly O’Neill.

Hunger in America
For 36 million Americans, including more than 13 million children, having enough food to eat is a daily struggle.  They must depend on a patchwork of government and charitable hunger-relief programs. Too many people find that their earnings, if any at all, don’t meet the day-to-day costs of living; rent, day-care, utilities and medical costs far exceed the wages they bring home or the benefits they receive.  For these millions of families, food insecurity is a way of life.  This is why we need every American to join us at the table by volunteering their time, donating food or funds to their local food bank, or organizing an event to raise both funds and awareness.

About National Hunger Awareness Day
National Hunger Awareness Day was first recognized in 2002, and provides a platform for American hunger-relief organizations to speak out and raise awareness about the serious problem of hunger in the United States.  America's Second Harvest joins the following organizations in recognizing National Hunger Awareness Day 2005:  Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World, Children's Defense Fund, Christian Reformed Church, Food Marketing Institute, Food Research Action Center, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, National Association of Counties, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Restaurant Association, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Share Our Strength, Society of St. Andrew, Souper Bowl of Caring, Taste of the NFL, US Conference of Mayors, and more than 30 national leaders of Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faiths.

America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization with a Network of more than 200 regional member food banks and food - rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.  The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes nearly two billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually.  The America's Second Harvest Network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than nine million children and nearly three million seniors.  For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
Media Relations Manager
Office: 312-263-2303 (Ext.127)
Cell: (312) 307-8470