[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF AMERICA'S SECOND HARVEST

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor America's Second 
Harvest, which is being presented with this year's Ernest P. Bicknell 
Disaster Response Excellence Award from the American Red Cross.
  America's Second Harvest, based in Chicago, is the Nation's largest 
charitable hunger-relief organization. I have long been an admirer of 
its work in Illinois, where 8 America's Second Harvest food banks help 
provide food to 900,000 people who are struggling with rising fuel, 
health care, and food costs. Nationwide, America's Second Harvest has a 
network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue 
organizations that serves all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico.
  The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more 
than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. 
The Network supports approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies 
operating more than 70,000 programs including food pantries, soup 
kitchens, emergency shelters, afterschool programs, and community 
kitchens. Each year, the America's Second Harvest Network provides food 
assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the 
United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 
million seniors.
  America's Second Harvest is being been honored by the Red Cross 
because it continues to be instrumental in improving preparedness and 
the critical delivery of disaster relief to individuals and communities 
across the country. America's Second Harvest has partnered with the 
American Red Cross in disaster response through its leadership with the 
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) Mass Care 
Committee. It has also worked to establish standards of care for 
victims of disaster, utilizing its proven expertise in providing 2 
billion pounds of food and grocery products to our Nation's hungry each 
year. Unfortunately, the news of the devastating cyclone in Myanmar, 
and the catastrophic earthquakes that stole thousands of lives in China 
this week, highlight just how critical disaster relief plans are.
  The Red Cross's Disaster Response Excellence Award is named in honor 
of Ernest P. Bicknell, who was the Red Cross National Director from 
1909 to 1917 after having served as, fittingly, the General 
Superintendent of the Chicago Bureau of Charities. Today, America's 
Second Harvest is at the forefront of charitable work, both in Chicago 
and nationwide. As a proud representative of the City of Chicago, I am 
honored to recognize their incredible work.

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