093_HR0307 LRB093 11784 KEF 16139 r 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, It is with deep concern for the hundreds of 3 thousands of citizens nationwide who face increasing 4 difficulties feeding their families that we, the members of 5 the Illinois House of Representatives, join with the Illinois 6 Food Bank Association and its individual Food Bank members as 7 they support America's Second Harvest's National Hunger 8 Awareness campaign to provide food assistance to hungry 9 children; and 10 WHEREAS, Because of the sharp downturn in the economy, 11 numerous families on a daily basis are relying on food banks 12 to secure food for their families; and 13 WHEREAS, In Illinois, nine food banks provide food 14 assistance to the needy families and their children with a 15 variety of feeding programs, including Kid's Cafe, Summertime 16 Lunch Bag, and After School Snack Programs throughout the 17 year that are aimed at reducing hunger amongst the State's 18 children; and 19 WHEREAS, America's Second Harvest, the largest 20 hunger-relief organization in the United States, has seen an 21 increase in demand for food, particularly among families with 22 children; it has launched a national campaign to secure 23 additional resources to help ease child hunger; and 24 WHEREAS, June 5, 2003 has been designated "National 25 Hunger Awareness Day" and the Illinois Food Bank Association, 26 which includes the Central Illinois Food Bank-Springfield, 27 the Eastern Illinois Food Bank-Urbana, the Greater Chicago 28 Food Depository, the Hunger Connection Food Bank-Rockford, 29 the Northern Illinois Food Bank-St. Charles, the Peoria Area 30 Food Bank, the River Bend Food Bank-Moline, the St. Louis 31 Food Bank, and the Tri-State Food Bank-Evansville, Indiana, 32 in partnership with 1,850 emergency food providers, has -2- LRB093 11784 KEF 16139 r 1 committed its support for America's Second Harvest's national 2 campaign to provide additional resources from our own 3 community to combat child hunger; and 4 WHEREAS, Whatever attention is generated by this National 5 Call to Action will benefit the more than 1,246,000 adults 6 and children in need of food assistance within Illinois; 7 therefore, be it 8 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 9 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 10 we proclaim Thursday, June 5, 2003 to be "National Hunger 11 Awareness Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further 12 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 13 presented to the Illinois Food Bank Association and its 14 individual Food Bank members as an expression of our support 15 and esteem.