PRINTER'S NO. 4332
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
989
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, HILL-EVANS, GALLOWAY, MURT, BURNS,
INNAMORATO, HOWARD, LONGIETTI, CIRESI, KULIK, KINSEY,
McCLINTON, McNEILL, DRISCOLL, HARRIS, STURLA, GREEN, SANCHEZ,
PASHINSKI, ROZZI, READSHAW, ULLMAN, MENTZER, DEASY AND
SCHLOSSBERG, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of September 2020 as "Hunger Action Month"
in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, September 2020 has been designated as "Hunger Action
Month" to provide a unified opportunity for communities in the
United States to focus attention on the persistent problem of
domestic hunger and to mobilize and create a movement to help
end hunger in America; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture gathers
information and provides statistics related to domestic hunger;
and
WHEREAS, According to Feed America's 2018 Map the Meal Gap
study, Pennsylvania's food insecurity rate was 10.9%, including
1.5 million Pennsylvanians struggling to put food on the table
or living in a household where food is scarce; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's food insecurity rate is projected to
increase to 15.9%, including more than 2 million food insecure
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Pennsylvanians, as a result of temporary unemployment due to the
coronavirus pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Many Pennsylvania households experience hunger, and
some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too
little, sometimes going without food for a whole day; and
WHEREAS, In a typical year, Feeding Pennsylvania food banks
serve nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians annually, including nearly
630,000 children who do not know where their next meal will come
from; and
WHEREAS, Due to the alarming increase in food insecurity
during the coronavirus pandemic, the members of Feeding
Pennsylvania served more than 5.5 million Pennsylvanians in just
a three-month period through its network of food pantries, soup
kitchens, shelters and other community organizations; and
WHEREAS, The costs of other essentials, such as home heating,
housing and medical care, have increased significantly, and for
families caught in the squeeze between declining wages and
rising costs, the food budget becomes a frequent pressure point;
and
WHEREAS, Utilization of emergency food assistance becomes a
way for these individuals and families to keep food on the table
while still paying the bills; and
WHEREAS, Individuals, charities, businesses and the
government all have a role to play in getting food to those in
need; and
WHEREAS, Food banks, food rescue organizations, soup
kitchens, food pantries, faith-based organizations, businesses
and individuals are donating time, raising funds and giving food
to help their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians benefiting from the nutrition
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assistance programs and services range from infants and toddlers
to school-age children and adolescents, single parents, two-
parent families, veterans and their families, people with
disabilities and seniors; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of September 2020 as "Hunger Action Month" in
Pennsylvania.
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