[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF BAY AREA FOOD BANK

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2012

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States 
Congress, it is an honor for me to rise today to recognize the 30th 
Anniversary of Bay Area Food Bank. For more than three decades, the Bay 
Area Food Bank has helped fight hunger in Florida, Alabama and 
Mississippi.
   Bay Area Food Bank was founded in 1981 as a small organization that 
aimed to serve the needs of citizens of Mobile and the Eastern Shore 
area in Alabama who were impacted by high inflation and unemployment. 
With just $5,000 and only two permanent staff members, the Bay Area 
Food Bank distributed 77,000 pounds of food in its first year. Through 
the tireless dedication of staff and volunteers, Bay Area Food Bank has 
grown immensely. Today, they distribute as much food in one day as they 
did during their entire first year, and, over the course of their 
history, Bay Area Food Bank has distributed more than 100 million 
pounds of food to families throughout the Gulf Coast. In fact, Bay Area 
Food Bank distributes more than 2 million pounds of food annually from 
their warehouse located in my home county--Santa Rosa County, Florida. 
In 2011, Bay Area Food Bank distributed over 15 million pounds to 
80,000 families in total.
   While Bay Area Food Bank does an incredible job providing food for 
families in the Gulf Coast region, they also play an extremely vital 
role in the aftermath of disasters. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated 
the Gulf Coast and left thousands of families without food and water. 
Many residents were left without power for weeks, and, during this 
trying time, Bay Area Food Bank's staff and volunteers increased their 
operations and distributed more than 1.5 million pounds of food in the 
first month after the hurricane. Just one year later, Hurricane Katrina 
provided another challenge for the Gulf Coast community. Many areas 
were decimated by the hurricane. During this time of need, Bay Area 
Food Bank once again increased their operations, distributing more than 
1 million pounds of food and hurricane relief supplies per week for the 
first two months after the disaster. When the Deepwater Horizon Oil 
Spill left thousands of families along the coast facing food shortages, 
Bay Area Food Bank again came to their aid. They conducted over 425 oil 
spill related mobile pantry distributions of more than 1.5 million 
pounds of food in 10 coastal counties in Florida, Alabama and 
Mississippi.
   Mr. Speaker, for more than 30 years, Bay Area Food Bank and its 
dedicated staff and volunteers have served families in Florida, Alabama 
and Mississippi. They started off small, but through tireless work and 
determination they have expanded their reach into communities all along 
the Gulf Coast. They are truly an example of what can be achieved by a 
group of individuals who work together to serve the needs of their 
community. My wife Vicki and I congratulate Bay Area Food Bank on their 
30th Anniversary, and, on behalf of the United States Congress, we 
thank the staff, volunteers and commercial partners that have helped to 
create a successful organization whose immense significance to the Gulf 
Coast community cannot be overstated.

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