WORCESTER, Mass., November 9, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited Worchester, Mass., to help launch a hospital hunger initiative at UMass Memorial Health Care in Worchester aimed at eliminating hunger in our communities and reducing the barriers that keep families from receiving adequate nutrition. Vilsack was joined by Congressman Jim McGovern and Governor Deval Patrick as part of his efforts to draw attention to the issues of food insecurity and hunger and promote the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

"President Obama and I are committed to improving the nutrition and health of all Americans, which is why we look forward to working with Congress to improve the health and nutrition of America's families through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization." said Vilsack. "The reauthorization presents a significant opportunity to improve the quality of school meals served to more than 31 million children in more than 100,000 schools across the country and to reduce barriers to participation. The collaborative effort we are celebrating at today's event, and others like it, will play a key role in eliminating the barriers that keep families from participating in nutrition programs and reduce food insecurity in our communities."

Vilsack was on hand with Congressman McGovern to unveil a new handbook that takes a practical, hands-on approach to combating food insecurity and hunger. The book, called "Hunger in the Community: Ways Hospitals Can Help," provides hospitals workers with all the information they need to get a program started.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the Federal agency that administers the Nation's domestic nutrition assistance programs, is the nation's first line of defense against hunger and a critical safety net for the underserved Americans.

FNS administers the 15 domestic nutrition assistance programs which together comprise the Nation's food safety net. They include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program); National School Lunch Program (NSLP); Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), among others.

Nutrition education and outreach efforts to the underserved are top priorities in all FNS mission areas. By providing nutrition education, low-income individuals and families are better equipped to connect dietary choices and physical activity with overall wellbeing. To increase participation, FNS conducts outreach targeting eligible populations, such as Hispanics and the elderly.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service supports individuals and families in need by putting healthy foods within reach. For more information on the SNAP and FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TD