[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 71 (Friday, April 29, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARD WORK AND INNOVATIVE THINKING OF TEACHERS AND 
               STAFF AT MARY E. ROBERTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ANDY KIM

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 29, 2022


  Mr. KIM of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
hard work and innovative thinking of teachers and staff at Mary E. 
Roberts Elementary School of Moorestown, New Jersey for taking steps to 
reduce their food waste.
  Every year is the United States wastes more than 100 billion pounds 
of food, the equivalent of 130 billion meals. In New Jersey alone, one 
person on average throws away 325 pounds of food each year. Across the 
country, over $408 billion dollars' worth of food is being thrown away 
each year, the need for new and innovative ways to reduce food waste 
has never been higher.
  Knowing that their school had an important role to play in reducing 
and recycling food waste, teachers and paraprofessionals at Mary E. 
Roberts Elementary School took action. In 2019, the school received 
funding through the Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant to purchase 
equipment and hire instructors to explain to students how to sort their 
unopened and untouched food. These resources were instrumental in the 
launch of the ``No Food Left Behind'' program where left-over food and 
produce from the school's garden is collected and donated to local food 
pantries and animal hospitals.
  The action taken by Mary E. Roberts Elementary School has inspired 
the community to proclaim yesterday, April 28, 2022, as Stop Food Waste 
Day and encourage others to learn about simple ways to minimize the 
impact of food waste.
  Each of us believes that no one in the United States should go to bed 
hungry. The unfortunate reality is that, in New Jersey's Third District 
alone, more than 55,000 people, including 12,000 children, experience 
hunger. Programs such as ``No Food Left Behind'' are not only raising 
awareness playing a key role to raise awareness on food waste. I 
applaud all the staff, students, and volunteers at Mary E. Roberts 
Elementary School for showing us how we can all improve our 
communities, and I look forward to seeing more schools across the 
country follow their lead.

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