“It’s once again time to think about turkey and trimmings.  It’s also time to think about the less fortunate in our country and our communities.

The cold reality in our nation is that 35.5 million Americans at some point during the year don’t have enough to eat.  Of those, 12 million are children, according to figures on hunger just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Perhaps the only thing worse than hunger is hunger with a heaping helping of bone-chilling weather. 

In Missouri, the figures are even worse than the national average.  An estimated one in eight families at some point has trouble putting food on their table.  Of those, one in three frequently struggle to get nourishment.  They must make painful choices between food and rent, heat, medical care, and other of life’s necessities.

We should also be mindful of the connection between homelessness and hunger.  Nationally, over 43,000 shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens take on the task of feeding the hungry and the homeless.  They are serving others through their charitable works, and they are also serving the homeless veterans population; nearly one in four homeless Americans is a veteran of our nation’s armed services.

Hunger is a continuing problem in our land of plenty.  As we celebrate the harvest, call to mind the origins of Thanksgiving as an occasion to share the bounty of our fields with one another.  Personally and through policy, defeating hunger will require our best efforts.

Eleven years ago, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act became law.  It cleared the way for food donations to the needy by lifting the threat of liability from well-meaning organizations who have leftovers to share.  Today, after professional football and Major League Baseball games, after rock concerts, and following business meetings, leftover food is taken to one of those 43,000 relief organizations, feeding thousands of America’s less fortunate every day. 

One entity taxpayers should expect to contribute, however, is the largest one of all: the federal government.

So I am introducing legislation this week, called the Federal Food Donation Act, to make the most of good food products that are otherwise thrown out.  Many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, from the most conservative to the most liberal, are joining this bipartisan effort.  Simply put, the bill would require federal agencies which serve food on the premises to encourage the donation of excess food to non-profit organizations.

I am always looking for ways to cut waste in federal government.  This is one way to prevent waste that benefits taxpayers, as well as the less fortunate in cities and towns all over the nation.  It is clear that the government is not doing enough to combat hunger, and this bill offers us a way to do more.

Solving the hunger situation in America will require more than this one effort, however.  Every one of us must renew our commitment to helping out the less fortunate, whether it is through a personal donation of time, talent, or treasure, or as part of an organized effort through church or school.  Even in Southern Missouri, there are incredibly kind, efficient food aid organizations which collect food from charitable members of our community and distribute it to the needy.  Food pantry contributions get families through tough times, they help children get the nutrition they need to excel in school, and they can even put a respectable Thanksgiving meal on the table.

As you gather to pray before your Thanksgiving meal with your families and loved ones, please remember those who are less fortunate and vow to be among those who will minister to their needs.  Remember, Thanksgiving is also about giving.”