[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 142 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING HUNGER ACTION MONTH AND HONORING ARLINGTON FOOD 
                           ASSISTANCE CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2011

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Hunger Action 
Month and to honor the Arlington Food Assistance Center, located in the 
Eighth Congressional District.
  Hunger Action Month was established to help inform individuals, 
communities, corporations and policy makers that hunger is a severe 
domestic issue and deserves our critical attention. The Arlington Food 
Assistance Center's sole mission is to feed the hungry. This important 
action allows their clients to make other necessary purchases, such as 
paying for rent and utilities, without having to sacrifice their health 
and nutritional needs.
  Despite the fact that Arlington County is one of the wealthiest areas 
in the country, plenty of local residents do not have enough to eat. 
The Arlington Food Assistance Center seeks to remedy this problem by 
distributing fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, bread and other food 
items to those in Arlington who are in need. It currently distributes 
food to approximately 1,350 clients each week, amounting to 2.1 million 
pounds of food provided directly to Arlington families last year. About 
65 percent of this food was donated from bakeries, supermarkets, 
farmers' markets, food drives, schools, congregations, businesses and 
private donors in the local community.
  I would like to commend the staff and volunteers of the Arlington 
Food Assistance Center for their hard work providing food for 
Arlington's needy families and raising awareness of hunger in our 
communities.

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