Declaring support and gratitude by the House of Representatives to food banks, food pantries, and other community-based organizations working to end food insecurity and providing other essential services in the United States.

Whereas there are hundreds of food banks and over 60,000 of their partners, including food pantries and meal programs, that help address the persistent problem of food insecurity, which exists in all counties across the United States; Whereas food banks collect, sort, and store millions of pounds of food donations, as well as distribute food to local food pantries, shelters, senior centers, and schools, and deliver food to people experiencing food insecurity in our communities, serving over 5,000,000,000 meals annually; Whereas food banks are an integral part of antihunger programs in the United States through their involvement in Federal, State, and local programs, as well as privately funded programs; Whereas many food banks manage and support programs that provide food to children after school, on the weekends, and during the summer to make sure children in the United States have sufficient food to thrive; Whereas food bank employees and volunteers also step up to provide critical and immediate assistance during disasters; Whereas, in 2022, 49,000,000 people in the United States turned to food banks, food pantries, and meal programs for assistance and food; Whereas, in the United States in 2022, nearly 13 percent of all households, over 17 percent of households with children, and nearly 15 percent of rural households experienced food insecurity, an increase from 2021; Whereas, in 2021, local rates of food insecurity among the overall population were as high as 26 percent in some counties, and more than 40 percent among children; Whereas, in 2022, 44,200,000 people living in households across the United States, including 13,400,000 children lived in food-insecure households; Whereas, in the United States in 2021, 1 in 14 seniors over the age of 60 experienced food insecurity; Whereas, as many as 1 in 6 military and veteran families in the United States experience food insecurity, and many military and veteran households seek supplemental food assistance provided through food banks, food pantries, and other private sources; Whereas Federal food assistance programs are essential and provide the bulk of all food assistance, but they often do not cover the full cost of a monthly food budget for households, including military and veteran households, leaving many recipients to rely on food banks to access the food they and their families need; Whereas food banks depend on donated foods, private donors, volunteers, and United States agricultural producers and communities, in addition to local, State, and Federal support, to provide their services; Whereas corporate donors, such as grocery stores, retailers, shippers, packers, and growers are essential team partners for food banks to enable them to carry out their important work; Whereas continued demand is straining food banks’ ability to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing food insecurity; Whereas food bank employees and volunteers, and community partners work tirelessly and constantly innovate to provide and distribute as much food as possible; Whereas, in 2022, only about 55 percent of food-insecure households participated in one or more of the largest Federal nutrition assistance programs from the Department of Agriculture, meaning many eligible people are not enrolled to receive assistance under such programs, making education about these programs by food banks and other community-based organizations an essential service; Whereas many food banks and their partners provide nutrition education so people in the United States can enhance their health; Whereas food insecurity leads to chronic health problems and costs the United States economy at least $160,000,000,000 each year in additional health costs and poor health outcomes; Whereas, in the United States, where nearly 40 percent, or over 118,000,000,000 pounds, of food is wasted annually, an equivalent to 159,000,000,000 meals valued at $444,000,000,000 food banks and other community-based organizations increasingly rescue and distribute high-quality foods that would have otherwise been wasted; and Whereas food banks collect, store, and distribute healthy foods, advocate for people who are experiencing food insecurity, aim to rescue food from going to waste and increase food donations, and provide education about healthy eating: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) declares support and gratitude to food banks and all other community-based organizations working to end food insecurity in the United States for tirelessly providing food assistance; and (2) confirms that food bank and community-based organization employees and volunteers, private donors, as well as United States agricultural producers, serve an essential role in working to end food insecurity, rescuing food from going to waste, and improving our general health, welfare, and the economy.

Summary: This resolution declares support and gratitude to food banks and community-based organizations working to end U.S. food insecurity. The resolution also confirms that food bank and community-based organization employees and volunteers, private donors, and U.S. agricultural producers serve an essential role in working to end food insecurity.