Applauding The NALC Food Drive Efforts Hon. Adam Smith of Washington April 13, 2000 |
| Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity
to recognize and commend the National Association of Letter Carriers [NALC]
for holding the Nation's largest one-day food drive. In past years the
NALC, through the personal contributions and service of its members, has
collected more than 58 million pounds of food along various postal routes
throughout the Nation. The NALC will be helping to feed American families
and children again this year during their eighth annual food drive to feed
hungry families and children across the country.
During this unprecedented time of economic expansion, Americans have benefitted from low unemployment, rising wages, and low inflation. However, some Americans continue to suffer from hunger. According to the Journal of Public Health, an estimated 10 million Americans suffer from the symptoms of hunger--4 million of which are children whose growth and development is threatened by malnutrition. These hard working families fail to make ends meet for reasons ranging from institutionalized poverty to a lack of educational resources and inadequate health insurance. As a result, some families are left with barely enough resources to subsist on. In a nation of abundance, hardworking families should not have to experience the effects of hunger. Our postal carriers provide a valuable and much appreciated service through their hard work and contribution to the greater community. I commend the NALC for helping to feed the Nation's hungry and I encourage Members to help support the NALC in their efforts to feed America during their food drive on Saturday, May 13. |
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