GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES NEW GLEANING AND FOOD RECOVERY EFFORTS

					Release No. 0139.97

Laura Trivers (202) 720-4623; weekend (202) 363-2398
Joel Berg beeper 1-888 378-5167


GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES NEW GLEANING AND FOOD RECOVERY EFFORTS
Joined By Pop Singer Michael Bolton, Leaders of National Non-Profits to
Kick-Off Summit

     PHILADELPHIA, April 27, 1997--Kicking-off the Presidents' Summit on
America's Future, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, pop singer Michael
Bolton, and leaders of national non-profit organizations announced plans to
expand gleaning and food recovery efforts.

     "We cannot stand by as thousands of pounds of perfectly good food are
thrown in the dumpster each year while people go hungry," said Glickman. 
"Food recovery and gleaning programs need our support -- our energy, our
enthusiasm and our time -- to save such food from the dumpster and get it to
those in need. And, I am very proud that USDA participates in these 
efforts to promote gleaning and food recovery."   

     After enjoying the Taste of Philadelphia, Glickman, Michael Bolton,
Tom McKenna, Chairman of the Board of the National Collaboration of Youth
(NCY) and Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America,
Sid Mandlebaum, Founder of Rock & Wrap It Up, and Christina Martin,
Executive Director of Foodchain, the national network of food recovery
programs, helped recover excess food with volunteers from local non-profit
organization Philabundance.

     As part of continuing efforts to promote gleaning and food recovery,
Glickman and the non-profit leaders announced that USDA will:

          Work with the National Collaboration of Youth, an umbrella group
          that includes  the Boy and Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big
          Sisters, YMCA of the USA, and the Boys and Girls Clubs, to
          encourage the 40 million young people who participate in these
          programs to volunteer with gleaning and food recovery programs;
 
          Enter into new partnerships with Rock & Wrap It Up and Foodchain
          to enable students to recover excess food from the School Lunch
          Program, restaurants, and from large concerts;

          Work with farmers' markets across the country to expand gleaning
          programs at the markets.  For example, the Reading Market,
          adjacent to the Philadelphia Convention Center already donates
          an average of 6,000 pounds of extra food each month.

          Join the Congressional Hunger Center and Foodchain later this
          year to sponsor a National Summit on Food Recovery, modeled on
          the Presidents' Summit on America's Future.  The Clinton
          Administration will also declare a National Week of Food
          Recovery; 

          Create a Web site to match volunteers with service opportunities
          nationally fighting hunger, improving the environment, and
          boosting rural communities.
 
     Glickman also announced that USDA is trying to become a more
volunteer-friendly workplace. On April 24, Glickman signed a memorandum
encouraging USDA supervisors and employees to take advantage of existing
policies that allow flexible work schedules so that employees can
participate in community service efforts without using annual leave.

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