[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS AND SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK 
                    ``STAMP OUT HUNGER'' FOOD DRIVE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2009

  Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National 
Association of Letter Carriers and the Second Harvest Food Bank of the 
Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania for their continued efforts in 
the battle against hunger.
  On May 9th, letter carriers and postal customers across the country 
joined forces to ``stamp out hunger'' in the nation's largest single-
day food drive for the 17th consecutive year. This also marked the 16th 
year that Second Harvest of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA took 
part in this extremely important event. Last year this food drive 
collected over 143,000 pounds of food to help struggling families in 
Lehigh, Northampton, Pike, Wayne, Monroe and Carbon counties. The local 
effort helped the National Association of Letter Carriers set a new 
record of 73.1 million pounds of food collected in 2008 in the ``Stamp 
it out'' drive.
  Food banks like Second Harvest of the Lehigh Valley are even more 
important during economic downturns like the one we are currently 
facing. Second Harvest of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania 
has seen the demand for assistance rise dramatically in the past year 
and has been able to help 64,000 people so far in 2009, up from 50,000 
in 2008. Thankfully, the generosity and compassion of their neighbors 
in the Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA showed again this year as they 
donated over 155,000 pounds of food exceeding last year's total.
  I believe that programs like this by the National Association of 
Letter Carriers and the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley 
and Northeast Pennsylvania bring us closer to achieving the goal of 
eradicating hunger in our communities. Once again, I would like to 
thank these organizations for their continued efforts.

                          ____________________