According to Feeding Pennsylvania, approximately two million Pennsylvanians are currently struggling with hunger, including 500,000 children who go to bed hungry at night. Hunger is a serious issue in our Commonwealth and in order to truly meet the food needs of residents facing hunger, it would require an investment of more than $785 million.
 
Pennsylvania faces a hunger cliff. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crises have led to an unprecedented uptick in individuals needing the assistance and support of community charitable food networks. Pandemic-era food assistance programs have ended and the cost of food continues to rise. Despite living in the wealthiest nation on Earth, the problem of food insecurity is growing among our friends and neighbors.
 
Each year in September (last year excepted), many of our colleagues have traditionally participated in our Capitol All-Stars charity softball game, which raises money for our charitable food network. Taking that public commitment to addressing hunger in every way possible one step further, I will be introducing a resolution to formally designate the month of September 2025 as “Hunger Action Month” in Pennsylvania.
 
This resolution would also celebrate organizations like Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger Free Pennsylvania, and help bring attention to their work to distribute hundreds of millions of pounds of food through their network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community organizations.

Please join me in supporting this resolution to recognize this significant challenge that faces Pennsylvanians in every neighborhood, every community, every municipality, and every county across our Commonwealth, as well as celebrating the thousands of employees and volunteers who support individuals in their times of need.

2023’s version of this resolution, HR 180, passed the House 201-1 and was co-sponsored by the following Members: Boyd, Madden, Rabb, Madsen, T. Davis, Kinsey, Pashinski, Hohenstein, Khan, Vitali, Hill-Evans, Sanchez, Parker, Cerrato, Howard, Mentzer, Krajewski, Mayes, Neilson, Cepeda-Freytiz, Freeman, Pisciottano, Steele, Ciresi, Green, Schlossberg, Otten, Shusterman, and Samuelson.
 
2024’s version of this resolution, HR 528, passed the House 201-1 and was co-sponsored by the following Members: Venkat, Schlossberg, Giral, Hohenstein, Khan, Probst, N. Nelson, Hill-Evans, Samuelson, Freeman, Cepeda-Freytiz, Kazeem, Howard, Green, Gallagher, Mayes, Cerrato, K. Harris, Madsen, and Zimmerman.