[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 204 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 204

    Designating June 7, 2011, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 26, 2011

Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Moran, 
 Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Brown of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; 
                   which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating June 7, 2011, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day''.

Whereas food insecurity and hunger are a fact of life for millions of 
        individuals in the United States and can produce physical, mental, and 
        social impairments;
Whereas recent data published by the Department of Agriculture show that 
        approximately 50,200,000 individuals in the United States live in 
        households experiencing hunger or food insecurity, and of that number, 
        33,000,000 are adults and 17,200,000 are children;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture data also show that households with 
        children experience nearly twice the rate of food insecurity as those 
        households without children;
Whereas 4.8 percent of all households in the United States (approximately 
        5,600,000 households) have accessed emergency food from a food pantry 1 
        or more times;
Whereas the report entitled ``Household Food Security in the United States, 
        2009'' and published by the Economic Research Service of the Department 
        of Agriculture found that in 2009, the most recent year for which data 
        exist--

    (1) 14.7 percent of all households in the United States experienced 
food insecurity at some point during the year;

    (2) 21.3 percent of all households with children in the United States 
experienced food insecurity at some point during the year; and

    (3) 7.5 percent of all households with elderly individuals in the 
United States experienced food insecurity at some point during the year;

Whereas the problem of hunger and food insecurity can be found in rural, 
        suburban, and urban portions of the United States, touching nearly every 
        community of the United States;
Whereas, although substantial progress has been made in reducing the incidence 
        of hunger and food insecurity in the United States, many Americans 
        remain vulnerable to hunger and the negative effects of food insecurity;
Whereas the people of the United States have a long tradition of providing food 
        assistance to hungry individuals through acts of private generosity and 
        public support programs;
Whereas the Federal Government provides nutritional support to millions of 
        individuals through numerous Federal food assistance programs, 
        including--

    (1) the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);

    (2) the child nutrition program established under the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);

    (3) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and 
children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1786);

    (4) the emergency food assistance program established under the 
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.); and

    (5) food donation programs;

Whereas there is a growing awareness of the important role that community-based 
        organizations, institutions of faith, and charities play in assisting 
        hungry and food-insecure individuals;
Whereas more than 50,000 local, community-based organizations rely on the 
        support and efforts of more than 1,000,000 volunteers to provide food 
        assistance and services to millions of vulnerable people; and
Whereas all people of the United States can participate in hunger relief efforts 
        in their communities by--

    (1) donating food and money to hunger relief efforts;

    (2) volunteering for hunger relief efforts; and

    (3) supporting public policies aimed at reducing hunger: Now, 
therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 7, 2011, as ``National Hunger Awareness 
        Day''; and
            (2) calls on the people of the United States to observe 
        National Hunger Awareness Day--
                    (A) with appropriate ceremonies, volunteer 
                activities, and other support for local anti-hunger 
                advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including 
                food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, 
                soup kitchens, and emergency shelters; and
                    (B) by continuing to support programs and public 
                policies that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the 
                United States.
                                 <all>