[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 87 (Friday, May 8, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THANKING HOMETOWN HERO KELLI MARTIN FOR OPENING THE FREE FOOD PORCH 
                  PANTRY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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                           HON. CHERI BUSTOS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 8, 2020

  Mrs. BUSTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Kelli Martin, who 
opened a food pantry on her front porch to feed the hungry during the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Since opening the ``Free Food Porch Pantry,'' her 
operation has tripled from one to three tables.
  Ms. Martin is a Certified Nursing Assistant who saw a need in her 
neighborhood once the coronavirus pandemic hit. The West Bluff 
Neighborhood in Peoria sits amid a food desert in the area, where 
residents have to make a long trek just to get to a grocery store. The 
state's stay-at-home order has caused many of the neighborhood's 
residents to lose their jobs. News spread in the neighborhood and on 
Facebook about the food pantry porch and more and more people began to 
rely on this generous service to feed their families or donate their 
own supplies. Ms. Martin is a Hometown Hero who cares about her 
neighbors and community. I commend Ms. Martin for taking immediate 
action so her neighbors do not go hungry.
  It is because of leaders such as Ms. Martin that I am especially 
proud to serve Illinois' 17th Congressional District. Madam Speaker, I 
would like to again formally thank Ms. Kelli Martin for her actions 
amidst a global pandemic to keep her neighbors from going hungry.

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