Senate Passes Lautenberg, Dole, Lincoln Bill To Combat Hunger, Provide Job Training, USA

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 17 Dec 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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The Senate approved bipartisan legislation authored by Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) to combat hunger in America and create job training opportunities for those in need.

"It is a tragedy that in the United States, a country where food is plentiful, millions of American children and families go hungry each day. The FEED Act would go a long way toward providing food and job training to those in need" said Sen. Lautenberg.

"In this country, 27 percent of all the food produced annually is lost at the retail, consumer and food service levels -- this means we are wasting about 3,044 pounds of good food every second," said Sen. Dole. "The FEED Act will not only ensure that some of this edible, nutritious food is rescued and distributed to the hungry, but will also help individuals who have faced adversity get on track for careers in the food service industry."

"As a nation of plenty, we must make a commitment to eliminate hunger in America," said Sen. Lincoln. "We are taking rescued food that would otherwise be wasted, turning it into meals that are prepared by people training to get a job to help support themselves and their family, and using the meals to feed hungry adults and children. This legislation will provide resources to local anti-hunger organizations in Arkansas and across the nation who want to use this multi-pronged approach to feed the hungry, empower the unemployed, and maximize food resources."

The Food Employment Empowerment and Development Act (FEED) would provide local governments and organizations with funding to carry out food rescue and job training programs.

Food rescue programs collect food from restaurants and businesses and turn it into nutritional meals for seniors, children and low-income families. These meals are distributed and served at homeless shelters, community and youth centers, children's after-school programs and senior citizen facilities.

The Lautenberg-Dole-Lincoln bill would require organizations to carry out the following activities:

- Food Rescue: Safely recover unserved or unused food from food service businesses and industries and convert the donated foods into balanced meals for those without food.

- Job Training: Provide job training and life skills training to unemployed and underemployed individuals in culinary skills that will lead to employment.

http://lautenberg.senate.gov/