[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 104 (Monday, July 7, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S4225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 495--DESIGNATING JULY 2014 AS ``SUMMER MEALS 
                           AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Casey) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 495

       Whereas 1 in 5 children in the United States struggle with 
     hunger;
       Whereas research has found that more than 30 percent of 
     low-income families do not have enough food during the summer 
     months;
       Whereas the summer food service program for children 
     established under section 13 of the Richard B. Russell 
     National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) exists to ensure 
     that low-income children have access to adequate nutrition 
     when the school year ends;
       Whereas the summer food service program is designed to give 
     hungry children a safe place to participate in fun, 
     educational activities and to receive a meal;
       Whereas thousands of schools and nonprofit organizations 
     across the country serve as summer food service program 
     sites;
       Whereas summer programs are often under-utilized, as only 1 
     in 6 eligible children participate in the summer food service 
     program, due in part to families being unaware that the 
     summer food service program exists;
       Whereas lack of transportation and other barriers often 
     prevent children from accessing the summer food service 
     program sites, especially in rural areas; and
       Whereas almost 1 in 3 low-income children live in 
     communities that are not eligible to participate in the 
     summer food service program, thus reducing their ability to 
     participate in the program: Now, therefore, be it
     Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates July 2014 as ``Summer Meals Awareness 
     Month'';
       (2) encourages members of Congress, schools, local 
     businesses, nonprofit institutions, churches, cities, and 
     State governments to assist in efficient use of summer food 
     service program sites by raising awareness of the location 
     and availability of those sites;
       (3) encourages members of Congress, schools, local 
     businesses, nonprofit institutions, churches, cities, and 
     State governments to support efforts to increase the 
     participation rate of eligible children who, without the 
     summer food service program for children established under 
     section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), may go without meals; and
       (4) encourages members of Congress to visit a summer food 
     service program site to see the importance of the program 
     firsthand.

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