OF MASSACHUSETTS, THE HEAD OF
THE HOUSE HUNGER CAUCUS.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.
REPRESENTATIVE McGOVERN YOU
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A HUNGER
CONFERENCE CONVENED.
WE HAD ONE IN 1969 AND
REMARKABLE THINGS CAME OUT OF IT
INCLUDING THE SCHOOL LUNCH
PROGRAM, THE SCHOOL BREAK FAST
PROGRAM, S.N.A.P. FOR WOMAN,
INFANTS AND CHILDREN AND YOU SAY
THIS CRISIS IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS
THAN PEOPLE WHO DON’T GO HUNGRY
BELIEVE IT TO BE.
>> FIRST OF ALL RNGS I THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME AND ALL THAT YOU
HAVE DOWN TO CALL ATTENTION TO
THE ISSUE OF HUNGER IN AMERICA.
THIS IS TIME FOR ANOTHER
CONFERENCE.
WE HAVE A HUNGER PROBLEM IN THIS
COUNTRY AND ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN
SOLVING IT IS THAT THE
JURISDICTION TO SOLVE IT FALLS
UNDER THE MULTIPLE COMMITTEES,
MULTIPLE AGENCIES.
A WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE COULD
PULL EVERYBODY TOGETHER, ANYBODY
RELEVANT IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM
PROBLEM, BRINGING TOGETHER IN
ONE ROOM AND DEVELOP A ROAD MAP
WITH BENCHMARKS TO END HUNGER
AND I WANT INCLUDED IN THAT ROOM
THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES,
THOSE GOING THROUGH DEALING WITH
HUNGER.
SO THIS IS THE MOMENT.
WE HAVE 45 MILLION AMERICANS WHO
ARE HUNGRY.
WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THAT.
WE ARE THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD AND AS
CHAIRMAN OF THE RULES COMMITTEE
WE BEGAN SERIES OF HEARINGS TO
WORK WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEES
TO HELP BUILD A -- THE RECORD
THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THE WHITE
HOUSE AND HOPEFULLY TO DO THIS
WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON FOOD,
NUTRITION AND HUNGER.
I TALKED TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND
SECRETARIES AND I THINK
SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA BUT NOW’S
THE TIME TO HAVE THAT CONFERENCE
AND END HUNGER.
>> JEAN, THIS WHOLE IDEA OF
HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN A
CONFERENCE LIKE THAT WHO HAVE A
LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HUCHKER YOU
SEE AND PEOPLE TALK TO PEOPLE
EVERY DAY WHO HAVE THAT LIVED
EXPERIENCE AND A THING THAT
STRUCK YOU IN THE LAST YEAR IS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER
SOMEBODY WHO’S NEW TO HUNGER OR
FOOD INSECURITY.
THE REMARKABLE FEAR THAT GOES
THROUGH YOU.
IT EMBARRASSES YOU.
YOU DON’T KNOW THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO YOU AND SOMETIMES
THE FOOD BANK IS A FIRST STOP.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE
SHOW.
IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
IN FACT, IN APRIL OF 2020, THE
FIRST FULL MONTH OF THE PANDEMIC
THE WORCESTER COUNTY FOOD BANK
AND OUR NETWORK OF FOOD PANTRIES
SAW A 205% INCREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO A FOOD
PANTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
COMPARED TO APRIL 2019.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO UNTIL
RECENTLY HAD WORKED IN
NONESSENTIAL SERVICE JOBS,
RETAIL AND THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY.
PEOPLE LIKE MARIE WHEN I
ANSWERED THE PHONE I COULD
DETECT THE PANIC THAT WAS IN
MARIE’S VOICE EXPLAINING TO ME
THAT SHE HAD THREE CHILDREN,
LAID OFF.
SHE HAD NEVER HAD TROUBLE
FEEDING HER FAMILY BEFORE AND
SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO TURN TO
OR WHERE TO GO AND SHE WAS
TRYING TO PAY THE BILLS AND IT
WAS A REAL SCRAMBLE.
WHILE SHE WAITED FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT TO BE APPROVED.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS WE
TOOK A DEEP BREATHE TOGETHER AND
I TOLD HER SHE HAD COME TO THE
RIGHT PLACE.
I GAVE HER ASSISTANCE ON HOW TO
APPLY FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND
THE SCHOOL TO GO TO GET TAKEOUT
MEALS FOR HER CHILDREN AND THEN
LOOKED UP THE FOOD PANTRY
CLOSEST TO WHERE SHE LIVES AND
DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS CLOSED.
SO I INVITED HER TO COME TO THE
FOOD BANK BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT
HER TO GO WITHOUT FOOD FOR A
MOMENT OR THE FAMILY.
THE PANTRY WOULD BE OPEN THE
NEXT DAY AND THAT WAS TOO LONG
FOR HER TO WAIT AND WHEN SHE
CAME TO THE FOOD BANK AND WE
BROUGHT OUT BOXES OF FRESH FOOD
RNGS FROZEN FOOD AND
NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS SHE MET
US WITH A SMILE AND TEARS OF
RELIEF BUT SHE IS ONE OF TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAD
NEVER NEEDED TO GO TO A FOOD
PANTRY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC GAVE
THEM LITTLE CHOICE.
AND WHEN I MET WITH HER SHE
REMINDED ME OF MY NEIGHBOR AND
THAT’S WHEN I THOUGHT THAT’S WHO
THE FOOD BANK AND THE FOOD
PANTRY PARTNERS HELP.
WE HELP OUR NEIGHBORS WHETHER
THEY LIVE NEXT DOOR, AROUND THE
CORNER OR ACROSS TOWN AND KIDS
WHO ARE IN SCHOOL WITH OUR KIDS
AND GRAND KIDS AND SENIOR
CITIZENS WHO STAND NEXT TO THE
MARKET CHECKOUT LINE WITH US.
>> YOU KNOW, SOME OF CONGRESSMAN
McGOVERN’S COLLEAGUES IN
CONGRESS SAID THE EXPANDED AID
TO PEOPLE DISCOURAGES WORK.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS A RESULT
OF EXPANDED AID TO PEOPLE
WITHOUT AN INCOME RIGHT NOW?
>> LET ME JUST SAY THAT THOSE
WHO ARE CRITICIZING PRESIDENT
BIDEN AND THANK GOD THAT WE HAVE
A PRESIDENT THAT RECOGNIZES WE
HAVE A HUNGER PROBLEM IN THIS
COUNTRY BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS
IF GOVERNMENT IS NOT THERE TO
HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM THEN I
DON’T KNOW WHAT GOOD GOVERNMENT
IS.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE --
ONE OF THE STATISTICS TO TELL
YOU IS THAT THE -- PEOPLE SAY TO
ME ALL THE TIME PEOPLE SHOULD
JUST GO TO WORK.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ABLE
BODIED WHO CAN WORK WHO ARE ON
S.N.A.P. THEY DO WORK.
THE MAJORITY OF --
>> THEY WANT TO WORK.
>> THEY EARN SO LITTLE SO WE
NEED THIS WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE
TO LOOK AT THE ISSUE
WHOLISTICALLY TO ADDRESS THE