[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 28 (Thursday, March 6, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2028-S2029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF GREATER DETROIT

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I have the distinct honor of paying 
tribute to the Gleaners Community Food Bank of Greater Detroit, which 
this year celebrates its 20th year of providing food to needy people in 
southeastern Michigan.
  On March 12, 1997, the Gleaners annual Women's Power Breakfast will 
bring together more than 200 of southeast Michigan's civic, 
professional, and corporate leaders to help lead the fight against 
hunger. The power breakfast was created 4 years ago by Gleaners board 
member Dulcie Rosenfeld and is led this year by honorary co-chairs 
Michelle Engler and Judge Trudy Archer, and by breakfast co-chairs Irma 
Elder, Barbara Levin, Helen Love, and Amanda Van Dusen. Knowing the 
considerable talent and commitment of these women, I have no doubt that 
breakfast participants will meet their challenge of raising money and 
awareness to help Gleaners find solutions to hunger in southeastern 
Michigan.
  Gleaners Community Food Bank was founded in 1977 with a mission of 
bringing together food, resources, and manpower into a single 
collection, storage, and distribution center to help feed southeastern 
Michigan's hungry. Since its creation, Gleaners has collected surplus 
food from the region's farmers, food distributors and processors, 
supermarkets, grocery stores, and individuals. Each year, this vital 
organization collects, stores, and distributes more than 12 million 
pounds of food to more than 200 agencies, including soup kitchens, 
church pantries, and shelters for homeless or battered women.
  Since its inception, Gleaners has been able to rely on the generosity 
of the people of southeastern Michigan. Each Saturday, approximately 
100 volunteers from church groups, schools, unions, and corporations 
come together to assemble food packs for distribution to various 
agencies. Food drives, fundraising events, corporate donations, 
foundation grants, and donations from individuals contribute greatly to 
Gleaners success.

[[Page S2029]]

  Hunger is faced by people of all ages, races, and socio-economic 
levels in communities throughout our Nation. I am proud to have such a 
dedicated and successful organization leading the fight against this 
problem in my home State. We should all take inspiration from the 
example we see here and recommit our efforts to eradicate hunger in 
this country and around the world.

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