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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 464 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 464

  Designating June 7, 2006, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day'' and 
authorizing the Senate offices of Senators Gordon H. Smith, Blanche L. 
Lincoln, Elizabeth Dole, and Richard J. Durbin to collect donations of 
food during the period beginning May 8, 2006, and ending June 7, 2006, 
    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 3, 2006

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Designating June 7, 2006, as ``National Hunger Awareness Day'' and 
authorizing the Senate offices of Senators Gordon H. Smith, Blanche L. 
Lincoln, Elizabeth Dole, and Richard J. Durbin to collect donations of 
food during the period beginning May 8, 2006, and ending June 7, 2006, 
    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 almost 
        38,200,000 people in the United States live in households experiencing 
        hunger or food insecurity;
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 the Federal Government provides essential nutritional support to 
        millions of low-income people through numerous Federal food assistance 
        programs, including--

    (1) the federal food stamp program, as established by the Food Stamp 
Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);

    (2) child nutrition programs; and

    (3) food donation 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;
Whereas a diverse group of organizations have documented substantial increases 
        in requests for emergency food assistance during the last year; and
Whereas all citizens of the United States can help participate in hunger relief 
        efforts in their communities by--

    (1) donating food and money;

    (2) volunteering; and

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

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 7, 2006, as ``National Hunger Awareness 
        Day'';
            (2) calls on the people of the United States to observe 
        National Hunger Awareness Day with--
                    (A) 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) the continued support of programs and public 
                policies that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the 
                United States; and
            (3) authorizes the offices of Senators Gordon H. Smith, 
        Blanche L. Lincoln, Elizabeth Dole, and Richard J. Durbin to 
        collect donations of food during the period beginning May 8, 
        2006, and ending June 7, 2006, 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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