Government, Industry and Faith Leaders Urge Help for 38 Million Hungry Americans
National Hunger Awareness Day Brings Communities Nationwide Together to Fight Hunger In America
CHICAGO --- JUNE 5, 2006 --- An expected 20,000 charitable agencies will participate in hundreds of events nationwide tomorrow in observance of the fifth annual National Hunger Awareness Day. With more than 38 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, living on the brink of hunger, leaders from the federal government, anti-hunger community, agriculture sector, conservation groups, food industry and faith community gathered today for a National Hunger Symposium in Washington, DC to discuss the nation’s growing hunger crisis and help chart a course for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill expected in 2007.
“The face of hunger in America may come as a surprise to many people,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of the America's Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. “It is a disgrace that everyday millions of hard working Americans are forced to make a decision between food and basic necessities like utilities, rent or medicine. The problem is being exacerbated by skyrocketing healthcare costs and gasoline prices.”
The number of Americans living on the brink of hunger is greater than the population of the 30 largest cities in the United States combined.
The America’s Second Harvest Network hosted the National Hunger Symposium along with other hunger-relief organizations bringing together leaders as diverse as Reverend Jim Wallis, president of Call to Renewal, Ambassador Tony Hall and Senator George McGovern. Panelists explored initial thoughts on the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, key programs essential to providing food for everyone and the role of the agriculture, food and grocery industries, as well as faith-based organizations, in ending hunger.
The Farm Bill authorizes spending and program guidelines for several federal nutrition programs including the Food Stamp Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides nutritious food for distribution at food banks and soup kitchens, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides nutritious meal boxes to nearly 500,000 low-income seniors and families each month.
At the symposium, the America’s Second Harvest Network also released the The Almanac of Hunger in America 2006, sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. The Almanac is the first all-inclusive resource that includes data on federal and state food insecurity, hunger rates, poverty statistics, federal nutrition program participation and the charitable response to hunger. Data from Hunger in America 2006, the largest, most comprehensive study ever conducted on domestic hunger, along with detailed maps of Congressional districts and the food banks and food-rescue organizations serving their area, are included in the publication.
America’s Second Harvest Member food banks and food-rescue organizations, and
thousands of the agencies they serve made final preparations for the tens of
thousands of events scheduled for National Hunger Awareness Day.
Highlights include a “Portraits of Hunger” photography contest in Central
Florida; a “Hike Against Hunger” in New Hampshire; and an “Adios, Hunger!”
fiesta in Fort Worth, Texas. Nearly 30 interfaith convocation services are also
scheduled to bring together people from all faiths around the country to pray
for the creation of a hunger-free America.
“We have the resources in this
country to ensure that each of our neighbors has access to adequate nutrition.
We must continue to increase the amount of food we are directing into programs
that help feed the hungry” said Escarra. “The America's Second Harvest
Network will continue working in closely with our partners to make certain that
Congress reauthorizes a Farm Bill that will help provide more food to Americans
who are hungry and at risk of hunger.”
For more information on National Hunger Awareness Day 2006, please visit www.hungerday.org.
America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 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 more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and 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 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including nearly 9 million children and 3 million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Contact:
Ross Fraser
Cell: 312.307.8470
Maura Daly
Cell: 301.943.3733
