Frank Lautenberg: “I rise to introduce the Food Employment Empowerment and Development Act or FEED Act along with my colleagues Senators…”

“I rise to introduce the Food Employment Empowerment and Development Act or FEED Act along with my colleagues Senators Dole and Lincoln. This important, bipartisan legislation will award grants to qualified programs that effectively combat hunger while creating opportunity through food rescue programs and job training. This legislation is inspired by some of the great work that food rescue programs in my State of New Jersey, such as Table to Table in Englewood Cliffs, Elijah's Promise in New Brunswick; the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, in Spring Lake; and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside are doing. It is a tragedy that in the United States, a country where food is plentiful, more than 34 million people are either going hungry or living on the edge of hunger. Thirteen million of those are children. While on average New Jersey is one of the wealthiest States in the Nation, nearly 12 percent of all New Jersey households experience either hunger, food insecurity or both. Low wages, unstable employment and the high cost of living in the State leave many people in need. Senior adults in particular, faced with high housing costs, rising taxes and significant medical expenses miss meals to help make ends meet. That is why we believe the FEED Act is so important. The FEED Act would provide eligible entities with a maximum grant of $200,000 per year to carry out food rescue and job training activities.…”