CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CRITICAL FOOD SERVICES

Statement

Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced he has introduced the Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2022 to reduce food insecurity for families across the nation. The legislation would increase funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Hunger Clearinghouse Hotline to improve access to food assistance, nutrition, and social services information for families in need.

"More than 42 million people will experience hunger this year due to limited access to food assistance--including 13 million children," said Congressman Joe Morelle. "We have a moral obligation to address these staggering statistics and ensure no family goes without a warm meal, especially during these already challenging times. I'm proud to introduce this legislation that will help better connect people to the resources they need, reduce food insecurity, and uplift families in crisis."

"We have been honored to run this vital service on behalf of USDA," said Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America. "But it's challenging to do so given that our call volume has tripled but our funding has stayed exactly the same. We are so grateful to Rep. Morelle in taking the lead on helping us obtain the resources necessary to meet the soaring need."

The Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act will increase the authorization level from $250,000 to $750,000 to better assist families navigating their options and provide hunger prevention education. Rep. Morelle introduced the legislation during Nutrition Awareness Month, calling attention to the critical need to connect struggling families with healthy food options.

The clearinghouse is accessible two ways:

By Phone: Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline, which operates from 7:00 AM -- 10:00 PM Eastern Time. If you need food assistance, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE to speak with a representative who will find food resources such as meal sites, food banks, and other social services available near your location.

By Text: Text to the automated service at 914-342-7744. with a question that may contain a keyword such as "food," "summer," "meals," etc. to receive an automated response to resources located near an address and/or zip code.

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