Citizens From Every State in the Nation Join America's Second Harvest to Issue Urgent Call to Action for More Food for the Hungry

Judy Slotnik: 202-368-7397

Recession, job loss send thousands more to food-relief agencies and supplies can't keep pace with demand

Washington, D.C. -- February 27, 2002 -- A single mom who lost her job because she could no longer afford day care... a disabled Vietnam veteran who volunteers at a local food pantry... a farmer suffering financial hardships... an advertising executive and master gardener who donates his home-grown vegetables... young siblings who started a campaign to give holiday turkeys to the hungry... these are just a few of the Americans from all 50 states who joined together today at a Washington, D.C. hunger-relief agency to launch a national Call to Action to address the recent, dramatic rise in demand for hunger relief.

They represent Americans of diverse backgrounds from rural, suburban and urban areas, and all walks of life. Many have experienced first-hand the hardship of feeding a family on a limited income. Others are food-relief workers or volunteers who have witnessed rising numbers of children, seniors and families turning to food pantries, soup kitchens and other hunger-relief programs to make ends meet. All of them traveled from across the nation to Washington D.C. to raise a spotlight on the need for more food, resources and volunteers to help feed America's hungry.

They were brought together by America's Second Harvest, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, with 215 affiliates across the country, more than 50,000 agencies and one million volunteers on the front lines of feeding America's hungry every day. Last year, America's Second Harvest fed 23 million Americans, including nine million children through its network by obtaining and distributing groceries and prepared meals.

But officials said today that the rapidly increasing demand for food assistance is far outpacing current supplies. "A number of factors combined have led to a surge in the number of new people coming to emergency food programs to help feed their families," said Judy Carter, chair of the Call to Action and executive director of the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin, Texas. "Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs. Some people who were just barely making ends meet now must contend with reduced hours or less pay. Seniors who had planned on more secure retirements now face plummeting investment income."

"America's cities saw a rise in families facing hunger last year," said Mayor Bill Purcell of Nashville, chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. "The U.S. Conference of Mayors report on hunger and homelessness for 2001 showed a 23 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance. The increase in hunger must be met with a strong response to restore the pantries in local hunger-relief organizations across the nation."

America's Second Harvest and its affiliates reported that an additional 365 million pounds of food are needed during 2002 to meet this new demand. "The problem is widespread," said Carter. "Eighty percent of our affiliates report that requests for food have increased over this time last year, and nearly half are experiencing fewer donations as well."

To illustrate the need for additional food and resources all across America, Carter introduced representatives from all 50 states to bear witness to hunger in their communities.

Nancy Callaway is an artist from Oklahoma. She has generously donated her work to the food bank's annual fundraiser for several years. She's here in Washington, D.C. to tell this story: "Last year I hurt myself on my job and was eventually laid off. With no money coming in, I had to turn to a pantry for the first time in my life. I realized that if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone."

Calling for increased donations to hunger-relief organizations, Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said that under proposed federal legislation he is sponsoring, small businesses and farmers that donate food to charitable organizations would receive tax credits. "The Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Act provides a responsible, cost-effective incentive for America's private sector to redirect surplus food to hunger-relief efforts," he said. "Under the bill, all types of small food-related businesses would be allowed to deduct the fair-market value of food donations from their taxes. By partnering with charities that have the wherewithal to get donated food to those in need, these food producers can make a huge dent in feeding America's hungry."

Senator Lugar and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also announced that they are sponsoring a congressional resolution to designate June 5, 2002 as National Hunger Awareness Day. "Too many Americans are forced to choose between paying their utility bills or providing food for their families. Charitable food assistance programs are critically important in helping to ensure that children, seniors and others don't go hungry," said Senator Durbin. "Our resolution asks the President, Congress and all Americans to support these organizations in their efforts to feed hungry families across our nation."

Robert H. Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest outlined ways individuals, companies and organizations can join the effort to raise and distribute more food. "We need more companies to donate food products. We need money to pay for transportation to get that food to where it is needed most. And we need volunteers to help us solicit, sort and move the food through our system," said Forney.

Forney announced the names of companies and organizations that have pledged their support of the campaign: AARP, America's Promise, American Federation of Teachers, Bread for the World, Catholic Charities USA, Center on Hunger and Poverty, Food Marketing Institute, Food Research and Action Center, Grocery Manufacturers of America, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, National Association of Counties, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Education Association, National Grocers Association, National Restaurant Association, Points of Light Foundation, Share Our Strength, United States Conference of Mayors, United States Postal Service, and VolunteerMatch. Special recognition was also given to ConAgra Foods Inc. and the Panera Bread Company for new commitments in response to the Call to Action.

Rallying corporations, organizations and individuals to donate food, money or time to local hunger-relief efforts Forney added, "The need is great, but working together and seeking new, sustainable resources, we can tackle the problem and we can do more to feed hungry Americans now. These new commitments are just a start. We urge every American to use our web site to find their local food bank or food-rescue organization and learn more about what they can do to help get more food to where it is needed most. No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from."