PRINTER'S NO. 4271
No. 861 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY MYERS, HERSHEY, BAKER, BENNINGTON, BISHOP,
BLACKWELL, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, CONKLIN, CRUZ, DALEY,
DePASQUALE, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, EVERETT, FLECK,
FRANKEL, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HESS, JAMES,
KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MANDERINO, MANN,
McCALL, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MILLARD, MILNE, MUNDY, MURT,
M. O'BRIEN, OLIVER, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PAYTON, PETRONE,
PHILLIPS, PRESTON, RAMALEY, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SAINATO, SCAVELLO,
SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, SWANGER, THOMAS, VULAKOVICH,
WAGNER, WATERS, WHEATLEY, WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI AND
YOUNGBLOOD, SEPTEMBER 9, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 9, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing September 2008 as "Hunger Action Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, September 2008 has been designated as "Hunger Action
4 Month" to provide an opportunity for communities in the United
5 States to unite to focus attention on the persistent problem of
6 domestic hunger; and
7 WHEREAS, Thirty-five and one-half million people, including
8 12.6 million children, live in households that experience hunger
9 or the risk of hunger; and
10 WHEREAS, This figure represents more than one in ten
11 households in the United States; and
12 WHEREAS, Four percent of United States households experience
13 hunger, and some people in these households frequently skip
1 meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a
2 whole day; and
3 WHEREAS, More than 11 million people, including 430,000
4 children, live in these homes; and
5 WHEREAS, Almost 7% of United States households are at risk of
6 hunger; and
7 WHEREAS, Members of these households have lower-quality diets
8 or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot
9 always afford the food they need; and
10 WHEREAS, More than 24 million people, including 12.2 million
11 children, live in these homes; and
12 WHEREAS, The costs of other essentials, such as home heating,
13 gasoline, housing and medical care, have increased
14 significantly, and for families caught in the squeeze between
15 declining wages and rising costs, the food budget becomes a
16 frequent pressure point; and
17 WHEREAS, Utilization of emergency food assistance becomes a
18 way for these families to keep food on the table while still
19 paying the bills; and
20 WHEREAS, Food banks, food rescue organizations, soup
21 kitchens, food pantries, faith-based organizations, businesses
22 and individuals are donating time, raising funds and giving food
23 to help their neighbors; and
24 WHEREAS, Individuals benefiting from the availability of
25 donated food range from infants and toddlers, school-age
26 children and adolescents to single mothers, single fathers, two-
27 parent families, veterans and their families and seniors; and
28 WHEREAS, Research shows that preschool and school-age
29 children who experience severe hunger have higher levels of
30 chronic illness, anxiety and depression and behavior problems
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1 than children with no hunger; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
3 September 2008 as "Hunger Action Month" in Pennsylvania.
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