[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E339]]


            IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 2004

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, across the Nation, rates of hunger 
and food insecurity are on the rise. Since 1999, food insecurity has 
increased by 3.9 million individuals: 2.8 million adults and more than 
1 million children.
  The Federal Government, through child nutrition programs, has the 
opportunity to help dramatically lower the incidents of childhood 
hunger, giving all children a chance to grow, develop, and succeed in 
the classroom and beyond. Despite the educational and nutritional 
benefits of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the large majority 
of students who could qualify for and benefit from these programs are 
not being served. Currently, only 15% of Free School Lunch Kids 
participate in the summer programs.
  This legislation, designed to improve the Summer Food Service 
Program, would encourage additional sponsors to participate in the SFSP 
by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive start-up 
grants of no more than $5 million per fiscal year for the 10 States 
with the least amount of sponsor participation. Further, it would 
increase child participation by requiring that 40 percent, rather than 
the current levels of 50 percent, of the children served by the SFSP in 
a region come from families below the 185 percent poverty level.
  These modest changes will make an enormous difference to the over 13 
million food-insecure children across the Nation who would benefit from 
a reliable source of healthy food to grow, develop, and succeed in the 
classroom and beyond.

                          ____________________