[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 4570] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNITION OF GLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION MONTH ______ HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN of massachusetts in the house of representatives Monday, March 31, 2008 Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the School Nutrition Association, SNA, and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, GCNF naming April as Global Child Nutrition Month. As part of this recognition, school nutrition professionals are encouraged to take 1 day, 1 week, or all month to partner with students and teachers in an effort to raise awareness about the ravages of hunger among children around the globe and here in the United States. Hunger is a political condition. We have the means to end hunger here in the U.S. and around the world--we just haven't mustered the political will to do so. This observance is an opportunity to raise awareness about the solutions to global hunger and poverty and, ultimately, to help build momentum in the fight to end the scourge of hunger. At any given moment, as many as 300 million of the world's children are trapped in the grinding cycle of poverty and hunger. Imagine trying to learn, grow and succeed while struggling with hunger. For some children, hunger may be offset by healthy school meals. For others, especially in developing nations, hunger is acute--it is literal starvation. It is a contributor to disease and early death. According to the United Nations, hunger and malnutrition take the lives of 18,000 kids every single day. Although we may not be able to resolve all sorts of natural and political forces, we do know that nurturing and educating a child is the single most effective means of breaking the cycle of poverty. According to the World Food Program, 130 million children do not attend school; and among those who do, most do not receive meals during school hours. A hungry child cannot learn or thrive; a society whose children live in hunger will never prosper. The Global Child Nutrition Foundation was created in 2006 with the mission of expanding opportunities for the world's children to receive adequate nutrition for learning and achieving their potential. This observance is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the solutions to global hunger and poverty. GCNF President and SNA Past President Gene White, a certified school nutrition specialist, said it best--``By combining our will and resources, hunger will no longer set boundaries for learning and achievement. Freeing children from hunger so they may become self- supporting, contributing citizens is a worthy endeavor. It is also a step toward building a more stable and peaceful world.'' Madam Speaker, as someone who is committed to ending hunger once and for all, I thank and commend the School Nutrition Association and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation for naming April as Global Child Nutrition Month. It is my hope that all of us can work to be part of the solution as we raise awareness in eradicating hunger. ____________________