On the recordMarch 7, 2019
March is Women's History Month, and I am proud to honor some remarkable women in my district. Today, I would like to recognize Ms. Joan Espenshade, a woman from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who gave back to our community by creating an extraordinary program to feed those in need. In 2005, Joan learned that some local children were food insecure on weekends when the school's free lunch program was not available to them, so she decided to step in and help parents make better use of their limited food dollars. She founded the Power Packs Project to provide food and nutritional information to low-income families. Not only did she help those families, but Power Packs now extends to 45 schools in 13 districts with 350 volunteers. Joan stepped down as president of Power Packs after 9 years in 2014, but her vision and impact can still be seen as the program continues today. We are thankful for people like Joan who remind us of the importance of caring for those in need. It is an honor to recognize her today. ____________________
