Today Feeding San Diego CEO Vince Hall to testify before Congress on veteran hunger

Published On: January 9th, 2020By Categories: News Releases3.3 min read

TODAY FEEDING SAN DIEGO CEO VINCE HALL TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON VETERAN HUNGER

San Diego County has the largest concentration of military and veterans in the world

SAN DIEGO — This morning, Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego, will testify before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. The oversight hearing, entitled “Reviewing the Availability of Resources to Address Veteran Hunger,” will be held at 7:00 am PST/10:00 am EST, at the House Capitol Visitor Center, Room 210 in Washington, DC.

This hearing will examine United States Department of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs programs that provide nutrition assistance to nearly twenty million veterans. Specifically, the hearing will focus on how veterans access resources, the impact of recent policy changes, and how Congress can more effectively support public and private partnerships to end hunger for veteran and active duty military families.

San Diego County has the largest concentration of military and veterans in the world. According to the San Diego County Office of Military & Veterans Affairs, the total number of residents in the County of San Diego associated with the military is over 1.2 million, which is 37 percent of the population. This total is expected to grow by 15,000 within the next three years as five additional ships will be homeported in San Diego.

Feeding San Diego serves local veterans and active duty military families struggling with hunger through the Feeding Heroes initiative. In addition to food distributions with military focused non-profit partners, the initiative reaches people in need on or near base, in military housing areas and in public schools serving a high percentage of military families. Through dignified farmer’s market-style distributions, Feeding San Diego provides fresh, nutritious food to active duty military families and veterans, without stigma or unnecessary bureaucracy.

The Witness List includes:

Panel 1

  • Dr. Thomas O’Toole, Senior Medical Advisor, Providence VAMC, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Ms. Christine Going, MPA, RD, FACHE, Co-Chairperson, Veterans Heath Affairs Ensuring Veterans Food Security Workgroup, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Ms. Pamilyn (Pam) Miller, Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Panel 2

  • Mr. Josh Protas, Vice President of Public Policy, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger
  • Ms. Denise Hollywood, Chief Community & Programs Officer, Blue Star Families
  • Mr. Vince Hall, CEO, Feeding San Diego

Vince Hall will share insights about the role of Feeding San Diego and other Feeding America members in supporting veteran and active duty military families facing hunger, as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other critical federal nutrition programs.

WHAT: Feeding San Diego CEO, Vince Hall, to testify before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity regarding the “Availability of Resources to Address Veteran Hunger”

WHEN: Thursday, January 9, 2020 | 7:00 am PST / 10:00 am EST

WHERE: U.S. Capitol Visitors Center HVC-210 Washington, DC 20515

WHO: Vince Hall, CEO, Feeding San Diego

The hearing will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

High-resolution images will be available after the hearing by contacting Allison Glader at aglader@feedingsandiego.org.

ABOUT FEEDING SAN DIEGO

Feeding San Diego is a non-profit organization on a mission to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals by maximizing food rescue. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego is the leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County and the only Feeding America affiliate in the region. Feeding San Diego provides more than 26 million meals every year to children, families, seniors, college students, military families and veterans and people facing homelessness in partnership with a network of 300 local charities, schools, faith communities, meal sites and food pantries. Through an efficient model focused on reducing our impact on the environment, every dollar donated helps provide four nutritious meals to people in need. To learn more about Feeding San Diego and its hunger-relief initiatives, visit feedingsandiego.org.