[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 214 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1174-E1175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2020

  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
inform my colleagues that this year is the Greater Pittsburgh Community 
Food Bank's fortieth anniversary, and I would like to formally 
commemorate their four decades of service to the people and communities 
of Pittsburgh. Over the past forty years, the Greater Pittsburgh 
Community Food Bank has become an integral part of our region by 
providing thousands of neighbors and

[[Page E1175]]

friends with the food support they need when they need it most.
  The food bank was established in Pittsburgh's Hill District at a time 
of painful change for our region, when the unemployment rate rose to 
almost 20 percent and the need for food assistance surged. Over the 
years, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has expanded to the 
point where today it works with hundreds of partner agencies in an 11-
county area distributing millions of pounds of food to those who need 
it.
  The organization's work has never been more important than in 2020, 
as COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the country, devastating our 
economy and leaving tens of millions of hard-working Americans 
unemployed. As a result, many Americans who had been living paycheck to 
paycheck before the pandemic were suddenly unable to afford their next 
meal. According to the Food Bank, food insecurity in Southwestern 
Pennsylvania increased 42 percent this year, including a 57 percent 
increase in childhood hunger. The Food Bank's response has been nothing 
short of lifesaving--having distributed more than 30 million pounds of 
food since March.
  I want to commend the exemplary work that the food bank has done this 
year, and I can say unequivocally that many in our community would not 
be able to get through these hard times without the remarkable 
contribution it's made to the region.
  My staff and I have worked closely with the Greater Pittsburgh 
Community Food Bank over many years to support and improve federal 
anti-hunger programs. I participated in food distribution events 
recently where I met many community members whose lives were markedly 
improved by this organization's impressive work. The Greater Pittsburgh 
Community Food Bank has been recognized a number of times over the 
years for its outstanding work, including by America's Second Harvest, 
Charity Navigator, the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit 
Organizations, and the Congressional Hunger Center.
  I want to commend and congratulate the Greater Pittsburgh Community 
Food Bank on its 40th anniversary of outstanding service to our 
community. I thank its staff, affiliates, and volunteers for their 
tremendous service to the people of Pittsburgh and look forward to 
continuing to work with them to fight hunger in Southwestern 
Pennsylvania.

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