POLITICS PLAY IN THE SENATE AS MILLIONS GO HUNGRY
Statement Attributable to:
Vicki Escarra
President & CEO
(Available for interview upon request.)
“More than 35 million Americans are living on the brink of hunger, and America’s Second Harvest and other nutrition groups are questioning why our nation’s Senators are not doing more about it. Hungry Americans can not wait any longer.
“Food banks are experiencing a 70 percent decline in support from federal commodity donations, energy and facility costs are skyrocketing, and rising transportation and operating expenses make it difficult for food banks and local feeding organizations to continue meeting increasing demands for emergency food assistance. Furthermore, food stamp benefits and deductions have not kept pace with inflations and do not reflect current cost living expenses.
“Meanwhile, the Senate deliberates over the reauthorization of the 2007 Farm Bill, and we are hearing little discussion about finding money to help low-income Americans through federal nutrition programs. If the Senate does not pass Farm Bill this year with adequate funding for federal nutrition programs, millions more of Americans will struggle to put food on the table.
“The 2007 Farm Bill is among the most important pieces of legislation the U.S. Congress will consider this year. The House of Representatives found $4.3 billion in new money, when it passed a Farm Bill in July, to curtail the losses in food assistance for growing numbers of hungry Americans. It is hard to understand why the Senate seems to be having so much difficulty doing this.
“America’s Second Harvest stands committed to ending hunger in this country, but we can not do it alone. I urge the Senate to move the fight against hunger forward and pass a Farm Bill that helps our neighbors in need.”
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America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America's Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. To learn more, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Contact:
Maura Daly
Office: 312.641.6421
Cell: 301.943.3733
Ross Fraser
Office: 312.641.6422
Cell: 312.307.8470
