[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 102 (Thursday, July 9, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2009

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, last Thursday I attended an event back home 
in Michigan where a coalition of community organizations came together 
and committed to delivering 575,000 meals to those in need this summer 
in southeast Michigan. The Ford Foundation and two Ford dealerships 
provided new mobile pantries. Gleaners Community Food Bank, Forgotten 
Harvest, and the United Way are partnering to ensure that the pantries 
will be fully stocked and sent to the areas which need it the most.
  The need for assistance in our country is staggering. In southeast 
Michigan 600,000 people are at risk of hunger. Food banks and pantries 
nationwide are seeing a 30 percent increase in demand for emergency 
food assistance, with some food banks reporting as high as a 65 percent 
increase in need, according to Feeding America. An astonishing 72 
percent of food banks report that they are not able to adequately meet 
the needs of their communities without adjusting the amount of food 
distributed due to rising unemployment and food prices.
  The federal government has a vital role to play in providing 
emergency food assistance. We provided some relief in the Recovery Act 
earlier this year. The Agriculture Appropriation bill before the House 
continues this investment by providing a 10 percent increase to the 
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food aid program as well as a $19.6 
million increase for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
  I want to highlight the Commodity Supplemental Food Program because 
it reaches out to low-income seniors--a group of people who too often 
fall through the cracks of our food safety net. The program, which has 
41,000 monthly participants in southeast Michigan, comes from a 
partnership between the government and local community organizations. 
Ninety-three percent of CSFP participants are seniors and many who 
receive delivery of their food packages are unable to leave their 
homes. The food packages, as well as the visit from the volunteer, are 
important in assisting them to maintain their independence and a 
healthier lifestyle.
  Under this bill, the CSFP will be able to increase the number of 
eligible individuals who participate for the first time since 2003. The 
program, which currently operates in only 32 states, will expand to six 
new states, some of which have programs and seniors that have been 
waiting for six years. The program will grow in Michigan and overall 
expand from 475,000 participants to 622,000.
  Much more must be done. I will introduce legislation soon that will 
provide an additional incentive for farmers, ranchers, small 
businesses, and restaurateurs to donate wholesome food to food banks 
and pantries to replenish the shelves for hungry Americans.
  According to a report released by USDA last November, 36.2 million 
Americans, including 12.4 million children, are food insecure. The 
report paints a stark picture of the pervasiveness of hunger in our 
nation, a picture that has only grown worse as the recession has 
deepened since the report data was collected in 2007. Hunger puts our 
children's health, learning, and development at risk; hunger causes 
unnecessary pain and suffering on already stressed working poor 
families, and hunger causes our elderly to make difficult choices 
between buying food or medicine. I applaud the work of the community 
organizations who work tirelessly to alleviate hunger, and the 
Appropriations Committee for providing them with more resources. Hunger 
poses a real threat to our children, seniors, and everyone in our 
communities. Our progress is important, but we cannot stop here.

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