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“JOYCE ROTHERMEL AND GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E957 on May 25, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
JOYCE ROTHERMEL AND GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
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HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce several milestones in southwestern Pennsylvania.
On June 7, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will celebrate its 30th anniversary and observe Hunger Awareness Day. On that day, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will also celebrate the important work done by its co-founder and CEO, Joyce Rothermel, who is retiring after 25 years.
Hunger is a widespread problem that affects millions of households across the United States. In 2009, one out of every eight Americans required emergency food assistance, and in 2010, over 40 million people relied on Food Stamps for their daily meals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 17 million of the nation's hungry are children. In Pennsylvania, roughly one in seven people are not getting enough to eat.
Hunger has a drastic effect on the health of those who suffer from it. Children from food-insecure households are more likely to fall behind in school, show signs of depression, exhibit cognitive disabilities and behavioral problems, and are more likely to be hospitalized with preventable illnesses. Similarly, hungry seniors are also more likely to suffer from poor health compared to food-secure seniors.
That's why it's so important to raise public awareness about the problem of hunger our nation faces today with events like Hunger Awareness Day. It's essential that every community across the country take action to eradicate the scourge of hunger.
I'm proud to say that in our region, a lot of our friends and neighbors have stepped up to meet this challenge. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has tirelessly fought hunger in southwestern Pennsylvania for the past 30 years. With the help of more than 400 affiliate food banks and member agencies, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is able to serve more than 122,000 hungry people each month.
The Food Bank has done an outstanding job at providing much-needed healthy food to the hungry of southwestern Pennsylvania. During fiscal year 2009-2010, it distributed more than 22 million pounds of food throughout 11 counties. Despite declining food donations nationwide, the Food Bank has managed to supply more than 50 percent of the food offered by local soup kitchens, 87 percent of the food distributed by the region's food pantries, and 43 percent of the food distributed by local shelters in recent years. I would like to commend the Food Bank for the fantastic work it has done on behalf of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Much of the Food Bank's success can be traced to the work of one person--Joyce Rothermel, who co-founded the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in 1980 and became its CEO in 1987.
During her 25 year tenure, Joyce oversaw the growth of the Food Bank into one of the most respected non-profit groups in the nation. Among other honors, the Food Bank has won awards from America's Second Harvest, received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, and obtained the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organization's Standards of Excellence Certification under Joyce's leadership.
This year, in recognition of her leadership and service, Joyce received both the Dick Goebel Public Service Award from Feeding America and the John E. McGrady Award from the Catholic Youth Association of Pittsburgh. In past years, Joyce's commitment to service has been recognized by a variety of organizations, including the YWCA, the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center, the Public Relations Society of America, and the United Nations Association.
I can add from personal experience that Joyce has been an effective and tireless advocate on hunger issues with the region's Congressional delegation as well. My staff and I have worked closely with Joyce over many years to support and improve federal anti-hunger programs. It was always a pleasure to work with her, and we will miss her.
I want to commend Joyce Rothermel for her decades of commitment to eliminating hunger in the greater Pittsburgh community, and I want to congratulate her on the beginning of her much-deserved retirement. And in closing, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for the extraordinary work it has done on behalf of the people of southwestern Pennsylvania.
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