Rendell Lauds Excellence in Hunger Awardees
 Governor
Edward G. Rendell highlighted the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Leadership
Awards Reception held April 17th at the Hotel Hershey.
At the event, the Hunger Action Board of Directors
presented awards to 25 individuals and organizations that have
made major contributions in Pennsylvania to the fight against
hunger over the last twenty-five years. Seventeen awardees were
designated in the category of Honorable Mention. For a complete
list of awardees, see below.
“So many Pennsylvanians from every walk of life
have fought the good fight to end hunger in our State,” said Board
President Dr. Teresa Amott, Vice Provost at Gettysburg College.
“This event is our way of recognizing a few that have been exemplary
in dedication and accomplishment.”
Governor Rendell supported the awardees with
his presence and remarks. “Hunger is a problem that we can solve,”
said the Governor. “The individuals and organizations recognized
here have been showing the way.” Rendell, who was active in
anti-hunger efforts while serving as Mayor of Philadelphia, also
challenged awardees and guests to remember the political aspect
of their efforts. “Many low-income adults don’t bother to vote.
But when it comes to hunger, voting is part of the solution.
At least within government, that’s where the commitment to ending
hunger comes from.”
Pat Temple-West, a 30-year anti-hunger veteran
of Nutritional Development Services in Philadelphia, spoke on
behalf of the awardees. “Young, idealistic advocates who demand
that hunger end now have had to be tempered with reality. And
those who work in the trenches providing the food have had to
be leavened with advocacy.”
Looking ahead, he said: “The solution to the
problem of hunger is wrapped up in how we treat our poor, the
policies we put in place, and the laws we pass to deal with poverty.
Generally speaking, the poor are not the cause of their poverty.
There are forces at that bring about poverty in spite of the efforts
of the poor and, I might add, in spite of our efforts to feed
them. We must address these forces. This effort is justice.”
Temple-West concluded with this advice, “Continue
to bring food, continue to bring services, but we must increase
the work for justice.”
Leadership
Award Winners
Patricia Birkenshaw,
Dauphin County, For administration and promotion of School
Breakfast, Summer Food, and Child and Adult Care food programs
at PA Department of Education.
Henry Bryan,
Philadelphia County, For focusing public attention on hunger
as an editorial writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Community Action
Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Northampton County, For
exemplary work combining advocacy, research and direct service
in its anti-hunger programs.
Martha (Sam)
Crouse, Washington County, For pioneering grassroots work
in WIC, food banking and anti-hunger advocacy.
Giant Foods
Inc., Cumberland County, For regional food drives and support
for anti-hunger organizations.
Gertrude P.
Giorgini, Franklin County, For pioneering work in the schools
to win acceptance of the School Breakfast Program.
Samuel E. Hayes
Jr., Huntingdon County, For launching the Seniors Farmers’
Market Nutrition Program and the Commodity Supplemental
Food Program in the PA Department of Agriculture.
Patience Jacobs,
Philadelphia County, For food distribution and grassroots organizing
among cupboard managers.
Just Harvest,
Allegheny County, For community organizing in Pittsburgh and
anti-hunger advocacy in Harrisburg and Washington.
Allen G. Kukovich,
Westmoreland County, For leadership in the General Assembly
on the State Food Purchase and WIC programs.
Jan Leaf,
Chester County, For organizing and staffing charitable food
distribution activity in Downingtown.
Frank Maisano,
Dauphin County, For administration and promotion of the state’s
WIC Program at the PA Department of Health.
Audrey N. Maretzki,
Centre County, For spearheading efforts to bring the Nutrition
Education Program to Pennsylvania.
Nutritional
Development Services, Philadelphia County, For sponsorship
of child nutrition programs, launching the Super Cupboard program,
and support of statewide organizing.
Pennsylvania
Association of Regional Food Banks , For support of
food banking, the State Food Purchase Program, and the Commodity
Supplemental Food Program.
Joyce Rothermel,
Allegheny County, For exemplary work combining direct service,
research and advocacy at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food
Bank.
Barry Shutt,
Dauphin County, For administration and promotion of the State
Food Purchase, TEFAP, Farmers’ Market, and Commodity Supplemental
Food programs at the PA Department of Agriculture.
Jim Stephenson,
North Carolina, For nutrition initiatives while serving in
the Casey Administration and for launching the PA Coalition on
Food and Nutrition.
Tim Twardzik,
Schuylkill County, For producing value-added products and repackaged
ravioli just for food banks.
Roy D. Twyman,
Allegheny County, For helping thousands of western Pennsylvania
households enroll in the Food Stamp Program.
Rita Ungaro-Schiavoni,
Philadelphia County, For establishing Aid for Friends, which
serves home-delivered meals to shut-ins and elderly each day.
Karen Virostek,
Westmoreland County, For innovation and quality as director
of the WIC Program in Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana and Lawrence
counties.
WNEP TV,
Lackawanna County, For coordinating and promoting Feed a Friend
Thanksgiving Food Drive for 18 years in northeastern PA.
Tim Whelan,
Dauphin County, For strengthening the Central Pennsylvania
Food Bank and promoting collaboration among food banks.
Edward J. Zogby,
Dauphin County, For implementing Food Stamp Program innovations
to reverse the decline in participation among eligible Pennsylvanians.
Leadership Awards
— Honorable Mention
Virginia Boley,
Tioga County, For serving hundreds of rural families through
weekly distributions.
William J. Coyne,
Allegheny County, For introducing the Food Stamp Outreach and
Research for Kids Act of 1999 (FORK) in the 106th
Congress.
Defense Distribution
Depot Susquehanna PA, Cumberland County, For sharing high
quality rations with needy neighbors in central Pennsylvania.
Furman Foods,
Northumberland County, For contributions of canned vegetables
and tomato products to charitable food providers.
Giant Eagle,
Allegheny County, For food donations and collaboration with
the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in a reclamation center.
Charlie Gipe,
Dauphin County, For organizing chefs to participate in anti-hunger
causes.
William F. Goodling,
York County, For oversight of child nutrition programs as Chairman
of U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee.
Hershey Foods,
Dauphin County, For contributing pasta and food products through
America’s Second Harvest.
Joanne Kinsey,
Lehigh County, For expanding child nutrition programming through
the Allentown School Food Service.
Lehigh County
Conference of Churches, Lehigh County, For providing a
hot meal to anyone in need every day of the week for 20 years.
David Lloyd,
York County, For year-around child feeding programs through
the Harrisburg School Food Service.
Rose McDermott,
Delaware County, For founding the Bernardine Center in Chester
and promoting the establishment of Super Cupboards.
James J. Rhoades,
Schuylkill County, For championing the School Breakfast Program
in the Pennsylvania Senate.
Salvation Army,
Eastern PA and Delaware Division, Philadelphia County, For
constancy in providing food to those whom are hungry.
Arlen Specter,
Philadelphia County, For support of nutrition programs within
the U.S. Senate and for sponsorship of the Hunger Relief Act.
Christine Vladimiroff,
Erie County, For leadership of Second Harvest and for helping
prepare the U.S. action plan to reduce hunger by half by 2015.
Steveanna Wynn,
Philadelphia County, For administration of the SHARE Food Program
and the State Food Purchase Program in Philadelphia.
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