NATIONAL SUMMIT ON GLEANING AND FOOD RECOVERY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS Release No. 0315.97 Fact Sheet NATIONAL SUMMIT ON GLEANING AND FOOD RECOVERY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS The following announcements and accomplishments were highlighted at the National Summit on Gleaning and Food Recovery on September 15-16, 1997 in Washington, D.C.: First National Goal for Gleaning and Food Recovery - The federal government will lead an energetic public/private partnership to work toward a concrete goal of increasing food recovery by 33 percent by the year 2000, providing enough additional food to feed 450,000 people a day. To oversee this effort, USDA has created a staff position of National Coordinator of Food Recovery and Gleaning. Large-Scale Donations from the Department of Defense - USDA, the Department of Defense, and the General Services Administration will work together to expedite the delivery of large amounts of excess DOD food to feeding organizations throughout the nation. In the 18 months beginning September 8, 1997, the DOD will make available through its Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service up to $10 million worth of food. New Farm Service Agency Field Gleaning Program - USDA's Farm Service Agency will begin a new national volunteer program for field gleaning utilizing unpaid community volunteers and will facilitate partnerships between farmers, local governments, anti-hunger organizations, community action agencies, and faith-based groups. The project will be operational in 13 pilot states by the Summer of 1998, and every state will have at least one field gleaning project by the year 2000. Increasing Food Recovery from USDA Research Farms - USDA's Agricultural Research Service has expanded its donations of excess food from its research farms to local feeding organizations. A research center in Weslaco, Tex. has donated 3,870 pounds of produce since May to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley; a research unit in East Lansing, Mich. donates up to 100,000 eggs to the Greater Lansing Food Bank each year; and a lab in Fresno, Calif. has donated about 1,500 pounds of almonds, 2,000 pounds of raisins, and 2,000 pounds of walnuts over the past two years to area homeless shelters and food distribution centers. More food recovery from federal government cafeterias - Cafeterias at number of new government cafeterias -- including those at the Department of Labor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Reserve Bank -- have agreed to start donating their excess food to the hungry. The National Institutes for Health of the of the Department of Health and Human Services will provide for food recovery in their new contract for operating eight cafeterias. -more- -2- Food recovery partnership with restaurants and hotels - The National Restaurant Association will work with USDA to create a handbook about how restaurants can donate excess food; it will be made available to all members of the Association. The American Hotel and Motel Association will provide information about food recovery to all its 45,000 members. Teamsters Union to encourage drivers to donate time - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union will ask its local unions to encourage its drivers to volunteer their time driving trucks for local food recovery organizations. Increased focus on youth volunteerism - USDA will join with the 4-H Program, the National Collaboration for Youth, Rock & Wrap It Up!, Inc, Foodchain, The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, and other non-profit and youth groups in developing a "Youth and Student Guide to Food Recovery." The guide will provide young people with simple, step-by-step information on how to volunteer in basic food recovery community service projects. Food recovery from school feeding programs - USDA will announce plans to increase the recovery of excess food from the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Summer Food Service Program. New Public Service Announcement campaign - The Summit will premiere a new public service announcement on food recovery and gleaning that features Secretary Glickman and the singing group Peter, Paul, and Mary. Ski Areas to Encourage Food Recovery - The National Ski Areas Association will cooperate with USDA's Forest Service to finds ways that their ski areas can recover food. One hundred and thirty ski areas across the country are located on National Forest System land. Southland Corporation to Donate New Truck to Maryland Food Bank - In a press conference with Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke that will occur simultaneously with the Summit on September 15, the Southland Corporation will announce its donation of nearly $70,000 to the Maryland Food Bank to purchase a new, refrigerated truck for the food bank's perishable food rescue program, Second Helping. New Vista Effort in Rhode Island to Continue Efforts Started with the "Summer of Gleaning" - On September 8, Alan Shawn Feinstein, Chairman of Rhode Islanders for a Hunger-Free State, and the Corporation for National Service announced the funding of six new AmeriCorps*VISTA Members to work for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. More Food Recovery At Farmers' Markets - All new Farmers' Markets sponsored by USDA -- including the new market opening today in Kansas City -- will donate excess product at the end of each market day to food recovery organization. Recovering Food from Receptions and Banquets Attended by USDA Leaders - USDA will automatically send information on how to donate excess food to sponsors of events attended by the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and Under and Assistant Secretaries. -more- -3- Department of Health and Human Services increasing food recovery - The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in conjunction with the Health Resources and Services Administration, has initiated a regular, non-perishable food collection initiative called the "Walk the Walk Campaign." Coast Guard Encouraging Food Recovery - The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a memorandum requesting that all units implement food recovery activities with local cafeterias, commissaries, food vendors, government contractors, and other Coast Guard food facilities. # NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet. Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov