[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HUNGER AWARENESS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on behalf of the 
over 50 million people, including over 17 million children in the 
United States, who face the day not knowing if they will have enough to 
eat.
  Millions of families live each day not knowing if and how they will 
put food on the table.
  Rather than thinking about what the next meal will be, these parents 
worry if there will be a next meal.
  Rather than concentrate on homework, these children are trying not to 
think about their hunger pangs.
  According to the USDA in 2010, 14.5 percent of households--or 1 in 6 
Americans--experienced hunger. This is the highest level of hunger in 
our Nation since the government began tracking food insecurity in 1995.
  No State or county is immune to the reality of hunger. In Illinois' 
three wealthiest congressional districts an average of 13.2 percent of 
people--or nearly 281,000 people--experienced hunger in 2009.
  Hunger is a reality in all of our communities. We see it in the long 
lines at our food pantries. We have heard from seniors forced to choose 
between groceries and medication. And children are in our schools who 
have not had a decent meal since the previous day's school lunch.
  The U.S. Census Bureau reported this month that more than 1.82 
million people lived in poverty in Illinois last year. That's up from 
1.69 million in 2009--making 2010 the third straight year the poverty 
rate in Illinois has risen.
  According to Feeding America in Illinois, nearly 1.9 million people--
including over 740,000 children--are food insecure and often rely on 
safety net programs for their next meal.
  Hunger is a symptom of poverty, and where this is poverty we see 
greater demand for emergency food programs and support. Federal food 
assistance programs have responded to the growing need by helping low 
and middle-class families, children, and seniors maintain a healthy 
diet.
  Throughout the country, food banks and pantries that rely on Federal 
assistance are the front line of the fight against hunger--providing 
emergency food assistance to hungry families.
  Unfortunately, business at food banks has never been better. Over the 
past 2 years, Illinois food banks have seen a 50 percent increase in 
requests for food assistance. In 2009, Illinois food banks provided 
food to 1 in 10 residents.
  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food 
stamps, is one of the Nation's most important antihunger programs. SNAP 
has provided over 46 million Americans with essential food assistance.
  In Illinois, 1.8 million people--that is 1 in 7 residents--rely on 
SNAP benefits to buy the food they need.
  The benefits of SNAP reach far beyond helping households maintain a 
healthy diet. SNAP is a powerful tool in fighting poverty, and has 
lifted nearly 2.5 million children out of poverty, more than any other 
government program.
  According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, $5 of SNAP 
benefits can generate $9 in economic activity through retail demand, 
farm production, and jobs.
  At a time when families are having trouble making ends meet, food 
stamps meet a basic human need.
  The people using food banks or food stamps to get by are people you 
know--your neighbor and coworker.
  I recently heard from a single mother of a 4-year old daughter who 
receives emergency food assistance from the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.
  This young mother is also a full-time college student, who plans to 
use her education to provide a better life for her family.
  Without the extra support from food stamps, this woman says she would 
have to drop out of college and work at a minimum wage job just to make 
ends meet.
  She credits food stamps for not only providing food assistance, but 
for allowing her to get an education so she can move her family out of 
poverty.
  As Congress works to rein in our Nation's debt, we will hear from all 
sides. The millions of Americans who rely on safety net antihunger 
programs like SNAP will not have the loudest voice in the debate or big 
PR firms, but we can't forget them.
  We must protect Federal food assistance programs. These programs are 
not a giveaway or a handout. They are strengthening our economy and 
improving the lives of vulnerable families, children, and seniors at 
their time of need.

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