 |
 |
|
Special Legislative Action Issue - 2008 |
||||||
 $5,000,000 Potential Funds Available in the State of Illinois' Food for Families Program Next Fiscal Year |
|
|||||
FOOD FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM NEEDS
YOUR HELP:
|
|
|
Final Farm Bill Push Needed!The US House of Representatives and the Senate are expected to vote on the final Farm Bill any day now. It is critical that legislation passes because it contains significant funding for emergency food assistance for hungry people all over the country, including our hungry neighbors in northern Illinois. With rising fuel and food costs hampering lower AND middle income Americans, sufficient hunger relief is needed today.
President Bush is threatening to veto this legislation if it passes through Congress, leaving millions of Americans with little support for hunger relief. It is absolutely vital that Congress achieves enough votes to override this veto - two-thirds in the House and Senate. Call your Congressional representative now to urge them to vote in favor of the Farm Bill.
To reach your House members, call
the House switchboard at 202.225.3121. QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics. . - Jane Adams
|
During the last fiscal year, the State of Illinois announced a new hunger relief initiative called the Food for Families Program. Through this initiative, the Illinois Food Bank Association (IFBA), a coalition of eight America's Second Harvest food banks including Northern Illinois Food Bank, received $1,000,000 in funding that provided 1.5 million pounds of nutritious food to an additional 37,500 Illinois families in need. This new initiative marked the first time state funding was used to purchase food not available to the emergency food system through donations or federal nutrition programs. Now, the opportunity exists to reach even more hungry families. In the upcoming Fiscal Year 2009, the State of Illinois has pledged $5,000,000 for the Food for Families Program to address the continued needs of hungry people in Illinois. But, for this funding to materialize, it needs the support of the Illinois legislature, our elected representatives. NIFB needs your help now! Call your representative and tell them that they must support this program for the sake of our hungry neighbors. NIFB and the IFBA have been lobbying our elected officials for their support in recent months, including a recent legislative luncheon hosted by the Greater Chicago Food Depository. State Representative Harry Ramey, 55th District, spoke to a number of his colleagues at this event and stressed the importance of this Program. Representative Ramey knows firsthand the need that exists in Illinois through his volunteer work at food pantries and at food drives. The Food Bank expects the state legislature to vote on this measure before the end of May so make your voice heard and call your representative today! NIFB needs your help; Representative Ramey needs your help; but most importantly, hungry Illinois families need your help! Click here to find your representative's contact info!
Call the NIFB location nearest you to get involved!
|
