[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 77 (Monday, May 12, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4045-S4046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     NATIONAL HUNGER AWARENESS DAY

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 558, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 558) designating June 10, 2008, as 
     ``National Hunger Awareness Day'' and authorizing the 
     collection of food donations during the period beginning May 
     12, 2008, and ending June 10, 2008, from concerned Members of 
     Congress and staff to assist families suffering from hunger 
     and food insecurity in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan 
     area.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 558) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 558

       Whereas food insecurity and hunger are a fact of life for 
     millions of low-income citizens of the United States and can 
     produce physical, mental, and social impairments;
       Whereas recent data published by the Department of 
     Agriculture show that 35,500,000 people in the United States 
     live in households experiencing hunger or food insecurity, 
     and of that number, 22,800,000 are adults and 12,600,000 are 
     children;
       Whereas households with children had nearly twice the rate 
     of food insecurity as those without children;
       Whereas 3.3 percent of all United States households (3.8 
     million households) have accessed emergency food from a food 
     pantry 1 or more times;
       Whereas 55.5 percent of food-insecure households have 
     participated in at least 1 of the 3 major Federal food 
     assistance programs: the Federal food stamp program 
     established by the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
     seq.), the school lunch program established by the Richard B. 
     Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), 
     and the special supplemental nutrition program for women, 
     infants, and children established under section 17 of the 
     Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);
       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 Nation;
       Whereas, although substantial progress has been made in 
     reducing the incidence of hunger and food insecurity in the 
     United States, certain groups remain vulnerable to hunger and 
     the negative effects of food deprivation, including the 
     working poor, the elderly, homeless people, children, migrant 
     workers, and Native Americans;
       Whereas the people of the United States have a long 
     tradition of providing food assistance to hungry people 
     through acts of private generosity and public support 
     programs;
       Whereas there is a growing awareness of the important 
     public and private partnership role that community-based 
     organizations, institutions of faith, and charities provide 
     in assisting hungry and food-insecure people;
       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;
       Whereas all citizens of the United States can help 
     participate in hunger relief efforts in their communities 
     by--
       (1) donating food and money to such efforts;
       (2) volunteering for such efforts; and
       (3) supporting public policies aimed at reducing hunger: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 10, 2008, as ``National Hunger 
     Awareness Day'';
       (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

[[Page S4046]]

       (B) by continuing to support programs and public policies 
     that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the United States; 
     and
       (3) authorizes the collection of food donations during the 
     period beginning May 12, 2008, and ending June 10, 2008, from 
     concerned Members of Congress and staff to assist families 
     suffering from hunger and food insecurity in the Washington, 
     D.C., metropolitan area.

                          ____________________