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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 558 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 558

  Designating June 10, 2008, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day'' and 
    authorizing the collection of food donations during the period 
   beginning May 12, 2008, and ending June 10, 2008, from concerned 
Members of Congress and staff to assist families suffering from hunger 
    and food insecurity in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2008

Mr. Smith (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Casey, 
 Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Designating June 10, 2008, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day'' and 
    authorizing the collection of food donations during the period 
   beginning May 12, 2008, and ending June 10, 2008, from concerned 
Members of Congress and staff to assist families suffering from hunger 
    and food insecurity in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Whereas food insecurity and hunger are a fact of life for millions of low-income 
        citizens of the United States and can produce physical, mental, and 
        social impairments;
Whereas recent data published by the Department of Agriculture show that 
        35,500,000 people in the United States live in households experiencing 
        hunger or food insecurity, and of that number, 22,800,000 are adults and 
        12,600,000 are children;
Whereas households with children had nearly twice the rate of food insecurity as 
        those without children;
Whereas 3.3 percent of all United States households (3.8 million households) 
        have accessed emergency food from a food pantry 1 or more times;
Whereas 55.5 percent of food-insecure households have participated in at least 1 
        of the 3 major Federal food assistance programs: the Federal food stamp 
        program established by the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
        seq.), the school lunch program established by the Richard B. Russell 
        National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), and the special 
        supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children 
        established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
        U.S.C. 1786);
Whereas the problem of hunger and food insecurity can be found in rural, 
        suburban, and urban portions of the United States, touching nearly every 
        community of the Nation;
Whereas, although substantial progress has been made in reducing the incidence 
        of hunger and food insecurity in the United States, certain groups 
        remain vulnerable to hunger and the negative effects of food 
        deprivation, including the working poor, the elderly, homeless people, 
        children, migrant workers, and Native Americans;
Whereas the people of the United States have a long tradition of providing food 
        assistance to hungry people through acts of private generosity and 
        public support programs;
Whereas there is a growing awareness of the important public and private 
        partnership role that community-based organizations, institutions of 
        faith, and charities provide in assisting hungry and food-insecure 
        people;
Whereas more than 50,000 local community-based organizations rely on the support 
        and efforts of more than 1,000,000 volunteers to provide food assistance 
        and services to millions of vulnerable people; and
Whereas all citizens of the United States can help participate in hunger relief 
        efforts in their communities by--

    (1) donating food and money to such efforts;

    (2) volunteering for such efforts; and

    (3) supporting public policies aimed at reducing hunger: Now, 
therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 10, 2008, as ``National Hunger 
        Awareness Day'';
            (2) calls on the people of the United States to observe 
        National Hunger Awareness Day--
                    (A) with appropriate ceremonies, volunteer 
                activities, and other support for local anti-hunger 
                advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including 
                food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, 
                soup kitchens, and emergency shelters; and
                    (B) by continuing to support programs and public 
                policies that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the 
                United States; and
            (3) authorizes the collection of food donations during the 
        period beginning May 12, 2008, and ending June 10, 2008, from 
        concerned Members of Congress and staff to assist families 
        suffering from hunger and food insecurity in the Washington, 
        D.C., metropolitan area.
                                 <all>
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