[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9520-H9521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             END HUNGER NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, last Monday and Tuesday, I participated in 
the eighth annual Monte's March, a 43-mile walk from Springfield to 
Greenfield, Massachusetts, to raise awareness about hunger in our 
community and to raise money for the Food Bank of Western 
Massachusetts.
  Monte Belmonte, a well-known and beloved local radio personality with 
WRSI, The River, in Northampton, led dozens of committed activists and 
community leaders on the walk.
  This year, the march raised over $236,000, a record, to help 
struggling families in western Massachusetts. This translates into 
about 708,000 meals that will go directly to individuals and families 
struggling with food insecurity.
  As I am each year, I was deeply impressed by the stamina of all those 
who walked and by the generosity of community members looking to help 
those in need.
  I would like to take a moment to thank those who joined us along the 
route for their dedication to the cause of ending hunger in this 
country once and for all.
  Specifically, I want to thank:
  Monte Belmonte and his entire crew from The River, including Mark 
Lattanzi, Dave Musante, and Rene Kane. They work incredibly hard each 
year to make this march a success, and it wouldn't have been possible 
without their determination and the extra hours they put in leading up 
to this event;
  Sean Barry of Four Seasons Liquor in Hadley, Monte's right-hand man, 
marched the entire 2 days;
  Andrew Morehouse, the executive director of the Food Bank of Western 
Massachusetts, and everyone at the food bank. They do inspiring work. 
They deserve to be supported;
  All of the elected officials who joined us, including my colleagues 
Representatives Richie Neal and Joe Kennedy, State Senator Eric Lesser 
and Representative Aaron Vega, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, 
Greenfield Mayor William Martin, and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos;
  The representatives of several local colleges: Christina Royal, 
president of Holyoke Community College; my dear friend Bob Pura, 
president of Greenfield Community College; and a special appearance by 
Sam the Minuteman, UMass' beloved mascot;
  Incredible advocates from the nonprofit community: Tim Garvin of the 
United Way of Central Massachusetts;

[[Page H9521]]

also from the United Way was Brian Whitney and Kerry Conaghan; Ron 
Johnson, CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services Inc. in 
Springfield; Andrea Marion, executive director of Lorraine's Soup 
Kitchen; Shannon Rudder, executive director of Kate's Kitchen in 
Holyoke; Betty Medina Lichtenstein, founder and executive director of 
Enlace de Familias in Holyoke; Mindy Domb, executive director of the 
Amherst Survival Center; and Neftali Duran, the chef and food activist 
at Nuestras Raices in Holyoke;
  The musicians who kept us entertained along the way: the Expandable 
Brass Band, Double Edge Theatre, and Hopkins Academy Band;
  Western Massachusetts small businesses, including: BridgeSide Grille; 
Magpie Pizza; Ashfield Lake House; Union Station in Northampton; 
Berkshire Brewing Company, who kept us nourished along the way; Ben 
Clark of Clarkdale Fruit Farms; and Tea Guys of Whately, Massachusetts, 
for their wonderful tea in honor of the march, and for their continued 
generosity and friendship;
  The Sheriff's Departments in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin 
Counties, as well the Deerfield Police helped provide escorts for us 
during the entire 43 miles.

                              {time}  1015

  I am grateful to Mr. Michael Brooks and the students of Smith 
Vocational School in Northampton for making the shopping carts we used 
during the march.
  I am grateful to the countless students--elementary, middle school, 
and high school students--who raised money and greeted us along the 
way; members of the Tibetan community who greeted us as well; and all 
the other incredible individuals from our community who joined us on 
the march, like my dear friends Chia Collins, Steve ``the Hippie'' 
Fendell, Georgiann and Rick Kristek, Kristen Elechko, Erin McKeown and 
Emily Lichter from the Ashfield Lake House, and so many others; as well 
as industry partners who helped support this effort through their 
generosity.
  I want to thank two of my wonderful district staffers, Keith Barnicle 
and Seth Nadeau, for their efforts in helping to organize the march and 
for assisting me every step of the way.
  Lastly, I want to thank my son, Patrick, who marched with me by my 
side during this entire time.
  Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join so many of my constituents and 
neighbors in western Massachusetts to bring attention to the issue of 
hunger and raise much-needed funding for The Food Bank of Western 
Massachusetts.
  I am so honored to be part of this march each year, but I need to 
remind my colleagues in this Chamber that charities alone cannot end 
hunger. To do that, it will take further investments in our federally 
funded programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meals.
  As we look toward the next farm bill, the next budget, and the 
upcoming appropriations cycle, I plead with my colleagues to maintain 
and increase investments and programs to help those struggling with 
food insecurity. Please don't do anything to make hunger worse in this 
country.
  In the United States of America, the richest country in the history 
of the world, it is a disgrace that any child goes to bed hungry, that 
any senior has to choose between lifesaving medication and a decent 
meal, that any veteran who risked his or her life in the defense of our 
Nation doesn't have enough to eat, and that any individual suffers from 
hunger. But, still, 42 million Americans remain food insecure.
  Food is a right, and it is up to this Congress to finally take a 
stand in supporting efforts to end hunger now.

                          ____________________