Norvell Emerson: “with 35 million individuals, including 12 million children, either experiencing hunger or teetering right on the verge…”

“with 35 million individuals, including 12 million children, either experiencing hunger or teetering right on the verge of hunger each year, the American people expect us to take every reasonable action possible to address this crisis. The American people are generous with their time and with their resources. And particularly, during the Christmas season, they're willing to make the extra effort to donate their time at a soup kitchen or provide groceries to a food pantry. Unfortunately, the need for these donations is real and it's growing. The Federal Food Donation Act is one small way the Federal Government can mirror the everyday lives of the constituents we serve. This legislation would require executive agencies who serve food on their premises to encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit organizations. Such food rescue efforts can be particularly useful to the more than 43,000 soup kitchens and food pantries on the front lines battling hunger. Our constituents are willing to search through their pantries to donate excess food, and so should we.”