[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 113 (Thursday, September 21, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1551]]



      HONORING LINDA AND JOHNNY MILLER AND HANDS ACROSS THE VALLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2000

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
two exceptional residents of my congressional district. Thanks to the 
humanitarian efforts of Linda and Johnny Miller, hundreds of children, 
parents and seniors in our Napa Valley will not go to bed hungry 
tonight.
  On Saturday, September 23rd, Linda and Johnny Miller will once again 
host the 7th Annual Hands Across the Valley benefit to raise funds for 
local food programs. The Millers have made countless contributions to 
our community. Most recently, they helped raise funds for the care of a 
little boy who was critically injured in our recent earthquake. But 
perhaps their greatest contribution that has touched the most lives in 
our Napa Valley is their tireless efforts regarding this monumental 
Hands Across the Valley event.
  Linda and Johnny Miller have been a driving force behind the success 
of this benefit since its earliest days. As event pioneers, they joined 
Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola as well as 49er Legend Steve Young to 
celebrate the first Hands Across the Valley event in 1994 at a 
wonderful restaurant in my district called Bistro Don Giovanni. Five 
hundred guests participated in that inaugural event to reduce hunger in 
our county.
  Thanks to the Millers, this event has grown every year. Because of 
their leadership and their many friends, Hands Across the Valley has 
donated more than $600,000 to feed Napa's hungry families. This year's 
event will be bigger and more successful than ever, with nearly 2,000 
guests and volunteers working together to ensure none of our neighbors 
are without food.
  Mr. Speaker, the Millers have put their heart and soul into this 
worthwhile cause because they understand its importance. Despite the 
media perception of Napa as a community for the wealthy, more than 7% 
of the county's population is below the poverty level and more than 21% 
are near the poverty level. A recent survey by the University of 
California and the Redwood Empire Food Bank found that 43% of 
individuals seeking food assistance each month at Napa food pantries 
and soup kitchens are children. The average household seeking 
assistance has four people. More than 30% do not have a stove or oven 
and 28% do not have a refrigerator.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe it is fitting and appropriate to honor the 
service these two extraordinary individuals have given to our 
community. I commend all of those involved in this annual benefit and 
wish them great success on Saturday. We are all better off because of 
their efforts.

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