Durbin Meets with Drew Barrymore, Paul Tergat and Congressional Sponsors

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) held a meeting today with actress Drew Barrymore, marathon world record holder Paul Tergat, World Food Program's Executive Director, Josette Sheeran, and Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), to discuss the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program and future efforts for the program's expansion. This program, named for former Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, provides school lunches to children in impoverished countries. In March, Durbin introduced a bill to reauthorize the McGovern-Dole program and provide it with additional funding so that it is restored to its original level of $300 million by 2012. Additional steps to increase funding for the program are being looked at as part of upcoming legislation.

"Millions of children around the world go hungry every day," Durbin said. "This program works to bring children to school and provide them with a nutritious meal, but we can do more. I'm happy to join Drew Barrymore and my friend Paul Tergat, as they bring attention to this vital program. I hope that their support of children around the world will spur us in Congress to provide the funding necessary to help as many children as we can."

The McGovern-Dole program provides donations of U.S. agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance for school feeding and child nutrition in low-income, food deficit countries. The key objectives of the program are to reduce hunger and improve literacy, increase access to primary education, especially for girls, and to improve the health and learning capacity of pre-school children. Since McGovern-Dole became law in 2000, the program has provided meals to 26 million children in 41 countries and has boosted school attendance by 14 percent overall and by 17 percent for girls. The program has had a markedly positive effect on educational attainment and long-term development outcomes.

The Senate and House bills will ensure that minimum funding levels be provided each year and will allow the program to reach significantly more children. Increased resources will also ensure multi-year commitments that are necessary in building self-sustaining school feeding program.

Actress Drew Barrymore became acquainted with the program during a recent trip to Africa. After seeing how important this program is to child around the world, she joined the Friends of the World Food Program as its celebrity partner. She spent the day on the Hill meeting with Members of Congress and urging their support of an expanded McGovern-Dole program.

One person who has participated in international school feeding programs is Paul Tergat, the current world record holder in the marathon. He ran the 26.2 mile race in 2:04:55. When he was a child living in Kenya, he received free lunches through a World Food Program school feeding program. Without the program, Tergat says his parents were too poor and he would not have been able to go to school.

The McGovern-Dole program is supported by Christian Children's Fund, Bread for the World, Heiffer International, Congressional Hunger Center, US Coalition for Child Survival, Project Concern International, Africare, North American Millers, US Rice, Basic Education Coalition, UNICEF-USA, Alliance to End Hunger, Global Food & Nutrition, Share Our Strength, International Dairy Foods Association, World Vision, School Nutrition Association, US Dry Bean Council, American Soybean Association, Better World Campaign and the National Corn Growers Association.

Last year, the McGovern-Dole Program donated 16,000 tons of U.S. wheat and wheat products, 1,000 tons of U.S. corn and corn products and 11,500 tons of U.S. soybeans and soybean products. Illinois ranks second among the states in terms of both corn and soybean production and is among the top ten producers of wheat. More than 90 percent of the cultivated acreage in Illinois is planted with corn, soybeans or wheat. Illinois also exports more agricultural commodities than all but three other states.

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