May __, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Richard Durbin The Honorable Jon Kyl Assistant Majority Leader Assistant Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Reid, McConnell, Durbin and Kyl:

We the undersigned organizations are writing to ask for your help in achieving passage of a robustly funded and comprehensive child nutrition reauthorization bill before the end of the 111th Congress that will ensure more low-income children have access to these valuable programs and take a strong step forward to meet the challenge of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

According to the USDA nearly one in four children in the United States is food insecure: that is, some 17 million children who face hunger. Child nutrition programs offer the healthiest and most nourishing meals that many children receive each week. For many poor children, they may be their only fully-balanced meals. Moreover, there are many poor children who do not have access to nutrition programs at all. This is particularly true for children living in low-income and rural areas where breakfast, child care and after school, or summer and weekend food programs are not available to them.

Data on child nutrition program participation illustrate the point that there are millions of low- income children who do not have child nutrition programs available to them. In FY2009, 19.5 million low income children received free and reduced price school lunches. This compared to only 9.1 million receiving free and reduced price breakfasts, and only 2.2 million children in summer food programs. Moreover, only 3.1 million children are in child care centers and homes with federally supported child nutrition programs. Clearly these are large gaps in service that must be filled quickly if we are to accomplish an end to childhood hunger, and time is running out to reach this goal by 2015.

Our organizations are united in the call for completion of a strong and fully funded child nutrition reauthorization bill before the end of this year. Two hundred twenty one members of the House of Representatives have written to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urging her assistance in identifying resources to achieve President Barack Obama’s commitment of $10 billion in additional funding for child nutrition over 10 years. We therefore respectfully request that you bring S.3307 to the Senate floor with the full funding increase proposed by the President, with the right mix of funding, and on a schedule that assures that this year this important legislation can fill the gaps in access that remain for millions of our nation’s poorest children.

Respectfully,

Signatures as of 5/19/10

National Organizations

9to5, National Association of Working Women National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Action for Children Good Shepherd Afterschool Alliance National Association for Family Child Care Alliance to End Hunger National CACFP Forum American Commodity Distribution Association National Collaboration for Youth American Community Gardening Association National Council of Jewish Women American Federation of State, County, and National Education Association/ Municipal Employees National Farmers Union American Federation of Teachers National Recreation and Park Association American School Health Association National WIC Association Americans for Democratic Action, Inc. National Women’s Law Center Association of Nutrition Services Agencies NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Bread for the World Lobby Catholic Charities USA Presbyterian Church USA Center for Law and Social Policy RESULTS Children’s Defense Fund Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Church Women United School Nutrition Association Coalition on Human Needs Service Employees International Union Community Action Partnership Share Our Strength Community Food Security Coalition Sodexo Congressional Hunger Center Sodexo Foundation Early Care and Education Consortium The Episcopal Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The United Methodist Church-General Board of Feeding America Church and Society First Focus Campaign for Children Union for Reform Judaism Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) United Church of Christ Half in Ten Campaign United Fresh Produce Association Jewish Council for Public Affairs Universities Fighting World Hunger Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Voices for America’s Children Land O’ Lakes, Inc. WhyHunger MAZON-A Jewish Response to Hunger

State/Local Organizations Interfaith Food Bank International Institute of Los Angeles Alabama Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness Auburn University Lord’s Pantry Jefferson County Child Development Council Inc. Napa ValleyFood Bank/CANV National Council of Jewish Women, State Public Affair Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers Food Bank of Alaska North Coast Opportunities Rural Communities Child Care Orange Children & Parents Together, Inc Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County Arizona Association of Family Day Care Providers Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County Arizona Community Action Association Sister Evelyn Mourey Center, Inc Association of Arizona Food Banks Sparrow Project Desert Mission Food Bank St Vincent de Paul, Dixon Grand Canyon Synod - ELCA St. Vincent de Paul, Concord St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance The Resource Connection Food Bank United Food Bank Western Center on Law and Poverty

Arkansas Colorado

Arkansas Affiliate American Association of Family 9to5 Colorado and Consumer Services Hunger Free Colorado Arkansas Hunger Alliance Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - Colorado Flint Street Fellowship Food Pantry Luv In Action Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas FPC Food Pantry Project HOPE Food Bank South West Arkansas Food Bank Connecticut Association for Human Services Collaborative Center for Justice California End Hunger Connecticut! Food Bank for Larimer County 9to5 Bay Area Jewish Federation of Eastern Fairfield County 9to5 Los Angeles A World Fit For Kids Delaware California Association of Food Banks California Breastfeeding Coalition Food Bank of Delaware California Emergency Foodlink Central Valley Association for the Education of District of Columbia Young Children Child Care Food Program Roundtable Capital Area Food Bank Child Nutrition Program of Southern California D.C. Hunger Solutions CHILDS-PACE Community Child Care Council (4Cs) Florida Community Food Bank of San Benito County Continuing Development Inc. AME Missionary Society Contra Costa Child Care Council Boca Helping Hands Family Resource & Referral Center Caring For Others Ministries FCEOC Head Start CharityExpressInc. Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Circle of Life FOOD Share Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Genesis House, Inc. Martin Counties Good Samaritan Baptist Church Community Partnership Group Greater Richmond Interfaith Program CROS Ministries-United Methodist Church Imperial Valley Food bank Easter Seals of S. Florida EBPrest Idaho ECHO (Emergency Care Help Organization) Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida Monastery of St. Gertrude Evangelical Christian Bible Ministries Tables of Hope International Family Assistance Coalition, Inc. Family Central.org Florida Conference AMEC Women's Missionary Chicago Lights Elam Davies Social Service Society Center Florida Impact Greater Chicago Food Depository Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women Illinois Hunger Coalition Gulfstream Goodwill Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition Holy Name of Jesus Food Pantry Lutheran Advocacy—Illinois Housing Partnership National Council of Jewish Women, Illinois State IBEW #728 AFL-CIO Public Affairs ISF Group, Inc. Northern Illinois Food Bank Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida Inc Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry Million Meals Committee Respond Now Okeechobee County School District River Bend Foodbank Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance Vital Bridges NFP, Inc. Second Harvest North Florida St. George's Center, Inc. Indiana St. Luke's United Methodist Church St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Tallahassee Feeding Indiana's Hungry, Inc. Strong WoMen Network Food Bank of Northwest Indiana Tampa Jewish Federation Indiana Coalition for Human Services The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida Jewish Community Relations Council-Indiana The Jewish Community Relations Council of the KALP NETWORK, INC. Greater Miami Jewish Federation Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Treasure Coast Food Bank Indiana True Tabernacle of Jesus Christ Ministries, Inc United Methodist Women Zoe Ministries Food Bank of Iowa Georgia Kansas 9to5 Atlanta Working Women Chatham County Nutrition Program Children’s Mercy Family Health Partners Feeding the Valley, Inc. Church Georgia School Nutrition Church World Service-Great Plains Office Savannah Chatham County Public School System Communities In Schools of Kansas Douglas County Child Development Association Hawaii El Centro, Inc. Family Resource Center, Inc. Aunty Jill's Playgroup First Lutheran Early Education Center Family Support Hawaii First Street Church of God It's A Small World Daycare GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc. Kimberley Limasa's Day Care Heart of Kansas Family Health Care Knight’s Day Care Heritage Preschool Little Learners Preschool, LLC Hillview Christian Children's Center Maui Economic Opportunity Jewish Community Center PATCH Jewish Community Relations Bureau of Kansas Saint Joseph Preschool City Seagull Schools Kansas Action for Children Shen's Daycare Kansas Association for the Medically Waiokeola Congregational Church Underserved Wesley Childrens Programs Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Kansas Children's Service League Kansas City Kansas Community College Campus Mississippi Child Care Center Kansas Health Consumer Coalition Public Policy Center of Mississippi Open Arms Lutheran Child Development Center Partnership for Children Rawlins County Dental Clinic The Family Resource Center American Jewish Congress-St. Louis Region Tri-County Smart Start Harvesters Community—The Food Network United Way of Wyandotte County Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis Winter Center for Restorative Justice, Inc. National Council of Jewish Women-Missouri Women's Community Y, Leavenworth State Public Affairs The Society of St. Andrews Kentucky Montana Jewish Community Relations Council of Louisville Family and Children First Child Care Partnerships God’s Pantry Food Bank Nebraska Louisiana Food Bank for the Heartland LUNCH Program National Council of Jewish Women, Louisiana State Public Affairs Food Bank of Northern Nevada Maine Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Nevada Catholic Charities Maine Maine Alliance for Children’s Care New Jersey

Maryland Abundant Life Community Development Corp Abundant Life Fellowship Church Hunger Solutions ALPS Daycare & Preschool Andres Gautier Ministries Association for Children of New Jersey Capital Health Massachusetts Citizens for Children Catholic Charities New England Farmers Union Catholic Charities BECS Project Bread-The Walk for Hunger Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton Worcester Advisory Food Policy Council Catholic Charities, Emergency and Community Worcester County Food Bank Services Community FoodBank of NJ/Southern Branch El Centro Day Care Elijah's Promise Center for Civil Justice First Baptist Church Harrisonville Christian Reformed World Relief Committee Food Bank of South Jersey Good Samaritan Family Services Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Learning Care Group Pantry Legal Services of Eastern Michigan Highland Park Community Food Pantry National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan HOPES CAP, Inc. State Public Affairs ICNA-NJ Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County Minnesota Koinonia Family Life, Inc. Living Hope Christian Center Kids Against Hunger Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity Minnesota FoodShare Mercer Street Friends Food Bank Second Harvest Heartland Mt. Calvary Baptist Church My Brother's Keeper

National Council of Jewish Women, State Public Regional Food Bank of Northeastern Affairs Network Rural Health Network of South Central New York New Jersey Farm To School Network Saint Peter Damian Fraternity SFO Outreach Ministry of Cecil Deliverance Schenectady Inner City Ministry Tabernacle Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy Park Avenue Community Church SER of Westchester Inc. Puerto Rican Action Committee of Southern New Single Stop USA Jersey, Inc. Springs Union Free School District Regional Office, Church World Service / CROP The POINT Community Development Hunger Walks Corporation Society of St. Vincent de Paul The Salvation Army Spoken Word Evangelistic Church Food Pantry Tioga Central School District St. Mary Street United Methodist Church Wellsville Central School St. Paul's Food Basket West Side Campaign Against Hunger St. Vincent De Paul OLMC Conference St. Vincent De Paul Society North Dakota The Apostles' House Touch New Jersey Inc. SENDCAA Wiley Church food pantry Attica Community Food Pantry Bread for the World-New Mexico Banquet Table Food Pantry Trinity Friends Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry-New Church Mexico CALL Food Pantry New Mexico Community Foundation CareSource New Mexico Voices for Children Christian Corner Community Center NM Center on Law and Poverty Churches United Pantry Cleveland Foodbank New York Freestore Foodbank Jewish Community Relations Council of the Brooklyn Food Coalition Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Broome-Tioga BOCES Ohio Association of School Nurses Caroline Food Pantry Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks Catholic Charities-Brooklyn and Queens Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Catholic Charities-New York Ohio School Based Health Care Association Center for Children’s Iniatives Second Harvest Food Bank Clark, Champaign, Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, Logan Counties Inc. The Center for Community Solutions City Harvest The Lord's Pantry Colesville Community Pantry United Way of Ashtabula County Community Action Agency of Franklin County West Ohio Food Bank E S Foods Early Care and Learning Council Oklahoma Family Enrichment Network Food Bank of Central New York Inter-Tribal Council, Inc of Northeast Oklahoma Food Bank of the Southern Tier Foodlink Healthy Kids Iniative Infant Jesus Church Adelante Mujeres Islamic Circle of North America CARE Connections Long Island Cares, Inc. ChangeTakesAction New York City Coalition Against Hunger Child Care Development Services Inc New York School Nutrition Association, Inc. Children's Institute North Fork Housing Alliance, Inc Florence Food Share Nutrition Consortium of New York State Jackson-Josephine 4-C Council Opportunities for Otsego, Inc. Lane Workforce Partnership Pro Action of Steuben and Yates, Inc. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Oregon Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency Hunger Action Center Montavilla Farmers Market Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc. Neighbors For Kids Presbytery of Philadelphia North by Northeast Community Health Center Public Citizens for Children and Youth Nutrition First CACFP - Community Action Rainbow Kitchen Community Services Oregon Food Bank Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA Oregon Hunger Task Force Second Harvest of Lehigh Valley & Northeast PA Organic Fresh Fingers, Inc. St. James Church Social Justice and Peace Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Summer Lunch Committee, Wilkinsburg Program Step By Step, Inc. Portland Chapter of Hadassah TREHAB Food Bank Portland Dietetic Association Unitarian Society of Germantown Green Rogue Valley Farm to School Sanctuary Soroptimist International of Florence United Way of Beaver County Southern Oregon Child and Family Council Volunteers of America-Pennsylvania St. Pius X Catholic Church/Faith Cafe Westmoreland Community Action Take Action Now Westmoreland County Food Bank West Linn Lutheran Church Rhode Island Pennsylvania Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Adagio Health Ashley Food Bank South Carolina Boys and Girls Club, Plymouth Extension Brashear Association Billie Hardee Home for Boys Bread for the World-Pennsylvania Children's Trust of South Carolina Bread of Life Food Pantry Christ Central Columbia Care Net Pregnancy Center Christ Central, Inc. Child Development Council of NEPA, Inc. Focus on Kids Church of God In Christ Harvest Hope Food Bank Church of the Loving Shepherd Mental Health America of SC Columbia/Montour Tapestry Of Health SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Commission on Economic Opportunity Security Federal Bank Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center East Liberty Presbyterian Church United Way Association of South Carolina Faith Assembly of God Unity Missionary Baptist Church Family and Community Service of Delaware County South Dakota Family Health Council of Central PA First Baptist Church, New Castle Food Pantry South Dakota Voices for Children Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Greater Washington County Food Bank H&J Weinberg Food Bank of NEPA Black Children's Institute of Tennessee Israel Ben Zion Academy Manna-Food Security Partners Jewish Family Services of York Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee Just Harvest Lincoln Park Community Center, Inc. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania McGlynn Center Alameda Heights Community Center Meadow Lands United Methodist Church Amazing Grace Fellowship Baptist Church Food Mid-Valley Hospital Pantry National Association of Social Workers-PA Austin RESULTS Domestic Group Chapter Baptist Benevolence of Irving National Council of Jewish Women, Pennsylvania Baptist General Convention of Texas State Public Affairs Blood 'N Fire Foundation PA Association of Regional Food Banks Calvary Baptist Food Pantry Pennsylvania Council of Churches Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Care Center Ministries The Shepherd's Storehouse Catholic Charities of Dallas The Substance Abuse Council Center for Children and Families Turtle Creek Recovery Christian Life Commission Wolfe City Food Pantry Community Lifeline Center Concord -- Food Pantry Vermont DeSoto Food Pantry Voices for Vermont's Children Driscoll Children's Hospital East Texas Food Bank Fannin County Community Ministries Food Bank of the Golden Crescent Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia Food Bank RGV ICNA Council for Social Justice Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas Islamic Circle of North America VA Greater Zion Food Pantry Skyline Community Action Partnership Houston Food Bank Society of St. Andrew Islamic Center Of Irving Voices for Virginia’s Children Jack and Jill Day Care Center Lake Cities Community Food Pantry Washington MASDFW MetroHaven of Love Inc. Children’s Alliance Midlothian Senior Citizens Center, Inc. Food Lifeline Montgomery County Food Bank Lawyers Helping Hungry Children New Hope Compassion Outreach Ministries Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington North Texas Food Bank State Services Of Hope, Inc Olympic Community Action Program Share Center United Way of King County Shared Housing Center University District Food Bank Shiloh Baptist Church Washington State Food and Nutrition Council Sustainable Food Center Texas Baptists (BGCT) Wisconsin Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission Texas Food Bank Network 9to5 Milwaukee Texas Hunger Initiative

cc: Senator Blanche Lincoln Senator Saxby Chambliss Senator Max Baucus Senator Charles Grassley