CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HELPS STUDENTS
                                            Release No. 0090.97
                                                               
                                    Tom Amontree (202) 720-4623
                                    Joel Berg    (202) 720-5746

CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HELPS STUDENTS MEET COMMUNITY SERVICE GRADUATION      
  REQUIREMENT AND BOOSTS FOOD RECOVERY

     WASHINGTON, March 20, 1997--Flanked by high school students and
officials from local schools, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that the Clinton Administration is providing opportunities for
area high school students to meet their community service graduation
requirements by gleaning and recovering excess food, fighting hunger, and
performing other service projects. 

     "The Clinton Administration is serious both about aiding the District
of Columbia and finding creative ways to bolster community service. This
partnership is a win-win for the D.C. area -- students are able to fulfill
graduation requirements and at the same time help recover and glean excess
food, thus providing food for area residents in need," said Glickman, who
made the announcement at the Capital Area Community Food Bank, a local based
agency involved in food recovery that needs additional volunteers.  The Food
Bank distributes food to 550 member agencies in the area, thereby
contributing to 200,000 meals each month.

     As part of the Clinton Administration's continuing efforts to promote
gleaning and food recovery, Glickman also announced that the cafeterias of
the Departments of Energy and Justice and the Office of Personnel Management
will follow USDA's lead and regularly donate excess food to the D.C. Central
Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals to shelters and soup kitchens in
Washington, D.C.  Earlier this year, the Department of Defense also began to
regularly donate food to the D.C. Central Kitchen.

     "The USDA cafeteria already donates excess food to help feed the
hungry, and I am delighted that other Federal agencies have responded so
rapidly to the President's order to increase their food recovery
activities," said Glickman, who has made promotion of gleaning and food
recovery one of his highest priorities as Secretary.  "Up to one-fifth of
America's food goes to waste each year, with an estimated 130 pounds of food
per person ending up in landfills.  And, the real tragedy is, that's enough
to feed 49 million people.  Together we can get that food to hungry families
who need it a whole lot more than a dumpster does."

     Glickman praised local school districts for instituting community
service graduation requirements. "There needs to be a connection between the
classroom and the real world.  This Administration wants to help make that
link.  I'm here to volunteer my service and that of the Department of
Agriculture."

     Glickman said, "We're going to expand our work to include teaming up
with area schools to match students with volunteer opportunities -- in food
recovery and beyond, in the federal government and private non-profit
organizations.  We'll help students get information about specific
opportunities, where they are, at what times, and what's required -- whether
it's a car or an extra pair of hands.

     "Together we can ensure that District, Prince George's and Montgomery
County students who want to serve, can serve.  There's certainly more than
enough work to go around."

     Following the announcement, Secretary Glickman, school officials,
the high school student volunteers, members of the AmeriCorps national
service program, and representatives of  local anti-hunger organizations
helped sort thousands of pounds of recovered food.


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