Hunger Action Network, Celebrates 20 years, Monday, December 9th

The Hunger Action Network of NYS, will celebrate 20 years of working to end hunger on Monday, December 9th. The event takes place at the First Unitarian Universalist Society on 405 Washington Avenue in Albany.

The event will honor a number of Capital District activists and organizations for their long time efforts to end hunger. Honorees include: Deb Catozzi, former Associate Director, Hunger Action Network; Donna DeMaria, Homeless Action Committee; Bishop Howard Hubbard, Albany Roman Catholic Diocese; Doris Jordan, Trinity Institution; Mark Quandt, Executive Director of Food Bank of NENY; Dawn Primeau, former Director of Food Pantries of the Capital District; Bob Stern, staff members of NYS Assembly Food Farm and Nutrition Task Force; and, the Solidarity Committee.

There will be a reception with light refreshments and live music from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M.. The awards ceremony will be from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M..

Hunger Action Network is a statewide membership organization of emergency food programs and concerned individuals whose goal is to end hunger and its root causes, including poverty, in New York State. Hunger Action Network both works to increase the amount of food provided to low-income New Yorkers while addressing long term solutions such as living wage jobs, universal health care and child care, welfare reform, and government reform.

Each week in New York State more than 900,000 individuals turn to emergency food programs for assistance. Almost half of the people helped are children. More than a third are families where at least one person is working (note: the US Conference of Mayors estimates that two-thirds of the EFP guests are the working poor). Hunger has increased since welfare reform was enacted. Virtually everyone who leaves welfare for work has an income below the poverty line due to low wages; the only exception are welfare participants with a college education. Governor Pataki has blocked both an increase in the minimum wage and increased access to college for welfare participants.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door. There is also a journal with ads of support being compiled for the event. For more information call 434-7371.