2018 -- H 7352

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LC004278

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS OF $175,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY FOOD

BANK

     Introduced By: Representatives Knight, Ajello, Vella-Wilkinson, Ruggiero, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: January 31, 2018

     Referred To: House Finance

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)

organization, founded in 1982 to provide food to people in need and promote long-term solutions

to the problem of hunger; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is the only food bank in Rhode

Island and is responsible for the efficient distribution of donated and purchased food to its

statewide network of 155 member agencies; and

     WHEREAS, The recent economic downturn has resulted in food insecurity and hunger

reaching a ten-year high due to soaring unemployment and growing poverty; and

     WHEREAS, By the end of 2017, emergency food pantries were serving over 57,000

people each month, an increase of fifty-seven percent since 2007; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Community Food Bank has received funding from the

State of Rhode Island since fiscal Year 2007; and

     WHEREAS, State funding to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank was $345,637 in

Fiscal Year 2008; and

     WHEREAS, State funding has been allocated in the amount of $175,000 for Fiscal Year

2019; and

     WHEREAS, The restoration of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank's state funding

to the previous level represents greater food security to those Rhode Islanders most in need; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not

otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2018-2019, an additional sum of one hundred seventy

five thousand dollars ($175,000) to the Department of Human Services, in addition to the sums

proposed in the Governor's Fiscal Year 2019 budget, for a Grant to be utilized by the Rhode

Island Food Bank; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw orders upon

the General Treasurer for the payment of said sum upon receipt of properly authenticated

vouchers.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS OF $175,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY FOOD

BANK

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     This joint resolution would authorize the appropriation of an additional one hundred

seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000) to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

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LC004278

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