[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22689]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING NANCY CARRINGTON ON HER 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE CONNECTICUT 
                               FOOD BANK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 2009

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today 
to join the many friends, colleagues and community members who have 
gathered in congratulating Nancy L. Carrington on her 25th anniversary 
as Executive Director of the Connecticut Food Bank. This is a 
remarkable milestone for an outstanding and dedicated woman--one whom I 
am proud to call my friend.
  Nancy came to the Connecticut Food Bank just two years after it was 
incorporated. She began her work with the organization as a food 
solicitor--responsible for seeking the donation of excess and unsalable 
products from local and regional food companies. When Nancy first came 
to the Food Bank, the organization was already distributing 1.3 million 
pounds of food a year to 188 community agencies throughout Connecticut. 
Just five years after she first started with the Food Bank, Nancy 
became its Executive Director. Twenty-five years later, Nancy can be 
credited with seeing the organization through its expansion to the 
largest centralized source of donated, emergency food in Connecticut--
distributing enough food to 650 food assistance programs to feed about 
250,000 men, women, and children every year.
  Nancy is not only responsible for the day-to-day operations at the 
Food Bank, but is also one of Connecticut's strongest voices on behalf 
of the hungry in our state. Nancy has said that ``food should not be a 
privilege . . . it should be a basic human right.'' The fact is that 
our nation produces enough food to feed everyone--yet families still go 
hungry. And today, as the economic challenges our families are facing 
increase, demand in Connecticut is up twenty percent. Nancy has made it 
her personal mission to overcome the challenge of feeding the hungry--
her work touching the lives of thousands over the years. There is no 
stronger or more dedicated advocate. While she hopes for the day when 
organizations like the Food Bank are no longer needed, we are certainly 
fortunate to have her at the helm and can find comfort in the knowledge 
that someone with her passion and commitment continues to serve our 
community.
  I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank Nancy for her 
many years of friendship. She has been an invaluable resource to both 
myself and my staff. I am grateful for her insights and constant 
commitment to ending hunger in our state and our nation. And so I stand 
today to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to Nancy L. 
Carrington, for all of her good work and many years of dedicated 
service to the Connecticut Food Bank. It has been her leadership that 
has made this organization such a success and, more importantly, it has 
been because of her compassion and advocacy that the Food Bank has been 
able to make such a difference so many lives. Nancy--my heartfelt 
congratulations to you as you celebrate your 25th anniversary and my 
very best wishes for continued success.