An Open Letter From Vicki Escarra To Senators Reid And Mcconnell

Hungry Americans Need a farm bill this year

December 6, 2007

Dear Senators Reid and McConnell,

As the leaders of your respective parties in the Senate, I am writing to implore you to move with all urgency toward Senate passage of the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 (the Farm Bill).  Passage of this legislation before the Christmas recess is absolutely crucial to avoiding a hunger crisis in the United States.  The decision to forge a compromise that will bring hope and relief to millions of vulnerable and needy Americans rests with you as the leaders in the Senate.

As you know, Farm Bills are about much more than agriculture, conservation or trade.  Two thirds of the spending in the Farm Bill goes to funding the nation’s nutrition safety net for low-income families and children.  The Senate Agriculture Committee’s reported bill provides more than $5 billion in new investments for food assistance programs.  The bill restores lost benefits in Food Stamps and increases commodity donations in the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) that will help restore depleted food inventories at food banks.  The need to move this legislation through the Senate and to conference is absolutely imperative at this time. 

The Nation’s food banks and their local partner charities are facing a food crisis the like of which has not been seen in recent memory.  A worsening economy on Main Street, stagnant wages and underemployment, anxiety with homeownership and rising fuel, utility, and food prices have combined this winter to substantially increase the number of needy people requesting food assistance.  Longer lines at food pantries and soup kitchens are coming at a time when these charities are experiencing substantial shortages of food, especially food donations provided through the Department of Agriculture.  It is a great and sad irony that the strength of the farm sector and increasing commodity prices have had the effect of bringing USDA food donations to the lowest level in nearly a decade at the same time that we have reached the highest level of need in our communities. 

I have seen firsthand empty shelves at church pantries and empty food banks around the country.  Food pantries in cities and in the countryside have been forced to reduce their hours of operation and are reducing the amount of food they provide to low-income people in need.  In fact, last month the USDA reported that 35 million low-income people were food insecure last year, nearly half a million more people than the previous year - and these statistics are now a year old.  The problem is in fact worsening around the country. 

The Farm Bill now before the Senate will help provide hope and relief to millions of vulnerable low-income working families, children, and the elderly.  In the spirit of this holiday season, please forge the compromise necessary to bring this legislation to a vote before the Christmas recess.   Please pass the Farm Bill now.

Sincerely,

Vicki Escarra
President and CEO
America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network    

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America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America's Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.  To learn more, please visit www.secondharvest.org.

Contact:
Maura Daly
Office: 312.641.6421
Cell: 301.943.3733

Ross Fraser
Office: 312.641.6422
Cell: 312.307.8470