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Support the Farm Bill
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As the cost of food and fuel reaches record highs, lines are growing longer and shelves are growing emptier at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. The only hope for the low-income residents of central Louisiana is the passage of the Farm Bill. This critical piece of legislation authorizes necessary funding for nutrition and food assistance programs for low-income families, children and seniors. For months, the Farm Bill has been stalled in Congress while millions of Americans remain stuck in the grip of hunger on a daily basis.
Over the holidays, we had to issue an urgent call to action to help restock our shelves. Since that call, our situation has once again become dire. We continue to face one of the toughest periods in our history with dramatic declines in commodity support from the federal government and private food donations. We are being forced to dip into scarce financial reserves to purchase food and to ration food to people in need because of our low inventories.
Several critical factors have contributed to what is rapidly becoming a desperate situation for the Food Bank of Central Louisiana and the 17,000 people that we serve every month. Nationally, we’ve seen a significant drop in federal commodity support of nearly $200 million per year since the enactment of the last Farm Bill in 2002. Both here in central Louisiana and across the country, the economic downturn has taken quite a toll. More and more people are coming to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana because they need our help to put food on their table. Meanwhile, the cost of food is higher than it has been at any time in recent memory, and people who rely on food stamp benefits to feed their families are seeing a rapid erosion in their purchasing power. Benefit levels are set once per year and food prices have risen 5.5 percent since the last adjustment just six months ago.
Help for the hungry residents of our community is at hand only if Congress and the Administration finish the Farm Bill – legislation that is now six months overdue. Congress is on recess and scheduled to return to Washington in early April. This week, President Bush signed a second extension to the existing Farm Bill that will authorize current programs through April 18. He called on Congress to either get a Farm Bill passed by that date or to extend the current bill for one year. Congress must act as soon as they return.
A one-year extension to the Farm Bill would be catastrophic for the Food Bank of Central Louisiana and those we serve. Our food bank does not have the capacity to meet dramatically increasing requests for food assistance with very little food supply. It is critical for Congress to show leadership by passing a Farm Bill and for the President to show compassion by signing it so that none of those in our great nation and here in central Louisiana who face hunger daily will have to wait longer for relief.
Sincerely,
Jayne Wright
Executive Director
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Food Bank Video
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The Food Bank has produced an 8 minute video that illustrates the need our local community has for our services. We visited with some of our member affiliates and talked with a few of their clients. We also have sections on our Adopt-a-Senior program as well as our Kids Cafe after school program.
 You
will need Windows Media player to
view the video. It is a free download
from Microsoft. |
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Central Louisiana Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger
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On Saturday, May 10, Central Louisiana letter carriers will again help Stamp Out Hunger! across America with your help. Now in its 16th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, with letter carriers having collected more than 836 million pounds of food from postal customers since its inception. Donations are then delivered to community food banks, pantries and shelters. Local donations will be delivered to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
Supporting the drive again this year are Campbell Soup Company, the U.S. Postal Service, America's Second Harvest - the Nation's Food Bank Network, Valpak - Cox Target Media, the AFL-CIO and United Way of America.
To help Stamp Out Hunger! in Central Louisiana this year, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on May 10. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans. Local letter carriers will then collect donations from homes across the city and deliver them to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
"Hunger continues to be a vital concern in the United States," said William H. Young, NALC president. "We see it in our everyday lives and on many of the routes we walk every day. Yet with donations from our generous customers and partners like Campbell Soup Company, who we've now been working with for over 10 years, I know we can help a significant number of people fight the battle against hunger."
"Even after 16 years, we still need everyone to get involved to truly make a difference," said Doug Conant, Campbell's president and chief executive officer. "Remember to help us Stamp Out Hunger! on Saturday, May 10th!"
"We are extremely pleased to be working with the National Association of Letter Carriers during this food drive," said Jayne Wright, executive director of the Food Bank. "By taking a leadership role in the fight against domestic hunger, the NALC continues to make a significant impact in the lives of many needy Americans."
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana is a non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger in central Louisiana. The Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to needy families through a network of approved charitable agencies in the following eleven parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn.
For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger! effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, contact the post office or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.
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More Information
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| (318)
445-2773 |
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Make a Donation
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are many ways to donate to the
Food Bank of Central Louisiana
and we welcome them all. Click
here
to visit our donation page or
give us a call at (318) 445-2773
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Donate while searching the internet!
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