Posted: | July 7, 2023 03:26 PM |
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From: | Representative Emily Kinkead |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Recognizing the Month of September 2023 as “Hunger Action Month” |
According to Feeding Pennsylvania, approximately two million Pennsylvanians are currently struggling with hunger, including 500,000 children who go to bed hungry at night. Hunger is a serious issue in our Commonwealth and in order to truly meet the food needs of residents facing hunger, it would require an investment of more than $785 million. Pennsylvania faces a hunger cliff. The COVID-19 pandemic and current economic crisis have led to an unprecedented uptick in individuals needing the assistance and support of community charitable food networks. Pandemic-era food assistance programs are ending and the cost of food is only rising. Despite living in the wealthiest nation on Earth, the problem of food insecurity is growing among our friends and neighbors. Each year in September, many of our colleagues participate in our Capitol All-Stars charity softball game, which raises money for our charitable food network. Taking that public commitment to addressing hunger in every way possible one step further, I will be introducing a resolution to formally designate the month of September 2023 as “Hunger Action Month” in Pennsylvania. This resolution would also celebrate organizations like Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger Free Pennsylvania, and help bring attention to their work to distribute hundreds of millions of pounds of food through their network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community organizations. Please join me in supporting this resolution to recognize this significant challenge that faces Pennsylvanians in every neighborhood, every community, every municipality, and every county across our Commonwealth, as well as celebrating the thousands of employees and volunteers who support individuals in their times of need. |
Introduced as HR180