A U-S Department of Agriculture report released last week revealed that 15% of Americans have trouble putting food on the table -- a record high. President Obama called the report "unsettling," he is urging Congress to pass a "strong" child nutrition bill to help ensure that American children don't go hungry. Crystal Hamelink is the Assistant Director of the Schenectady Inner City Ministry Program (SICM). She sees hungry children nearly every day. As the Director of the SICM Free Summer Lunch Program, she helped feed over 37,700 lunches to hungry kids this summer, which is a 24% increase over the number of meals served in 2008. In addition, the SICM Emergency Food Pantry, the largest in Schenectady County, fed 15,936 kids in 2008, and this year they we expect to top that number.

"Our kids are most vulnerable. When you feed hungry children, they wrap themselves around your heart. You cannot help but try to make their lives better. It's a blessing to feed the children. It's unfortunate that the numbers of hungry kids keep growing. It is time to eliminate child hunger in America, said Hamelink.

"As people of faith, we are called to do what God requires and a piece of that is doing what is fair and just for our neighbors. The good news is: There is enough food! We can end hunger! It is achievable only if we embrace the fact hunger and food insecurity can be eliminated. The challenge we face is not lack of food but a more equitable way of distributing food, and, government leadership committed to making certain no one goes hungry," said Rev. Debra Jameson of FOCUS Churches, which operates a food pantry and breakfast programs.

The groups applauded President Obama's call to end childhood hunger by 2015 but said that Congress would need to fundamentally change nutrition, agriculture, economic and budget priorities to achieve this. President Obama's "Tackling Domestic Hunger" analysis made the important point that "The most effective way to eliminate childhood hunger and reduce hunger among adults is through a broad expansion of economic opportunity." To do that, he outlined a range of initiatives "to reduce and alleviate poverty, including providing permanent tax relief for working families, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, raising the minimum wage, and providing affordable, accessible health insurance."

"We urge Congress, as part of the reauthorization of programs like school meals and WIC, to allow more children to access these programs. Access to food should be a universal right. But we also agree with President Obama that ending hunger requires us to address more fundamental economic problems like the need for a robust minimum wage and targeted job creation in low-income communities. We must also heed the warning of former President Eisenhower to not allow the military budget to steal the resources we need to feed the hungry and house the homeless," said Mark Dunlea, Executive Director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State.

"We applaud President Obama's initiative to end childhood hunger by 2015. All of us must do our part starting at the top. Congress and the administration must reallocate resources to reverse the disgraceful trend of growing hunger and poverty. Faith communities must continue to keep their pantry and soup kitchen doors open to all who are hungry, and as long as they are needed. But we will also be working hard to shut these programs down, working toward that day when emergency feeding programs close because they are no longer needed, because we the people raised our voices and insisted on public policy that ensures food for all," added Jameson.

The groups said that lawmakers in both Congress and the State Legislature need to do a better job of finding the resources needed to reduce hunger. State lawmakers last week debated whether to cut millions of dollars from feeding programs and other human service initiatives dealing with housing and health care.

Congress recently extended the reauthorization of the child nutrition programs such as school breakfast and lunch, summer meals, child care (the Child and Adult Care Food Program - CACFP), and WIC (Women, Infants and Children). A vote is now expected in March 2010. President Obama is urging Congress to increase funding for these programs by $1 billion.