FEED AMERICA THURSDAY
WHEREAS, Thanksgiving Day celebrates the spirit of selfless giving and an appreciation for
family and friends; and
WHEREAS, the spirit of Thanksgiving Day is a virtue upon which our nation was founded; and
WHEREAS, thirty-three million Americans, including thirteen million children, live in households
without an adequate supply of food; and
WHEREAS, almost three million of these children experience hunger; and
WHEREAS, selfless sacrifice breeds a genuine spirit of Thanksgiving, both affirming and
restoring fundamental principles in our society; and
WHEREAS, its first year in 2002, Feed America Thursday was proclaimed in 62 number of cities
across the United States; and
WHEREAS, while Feed America Thursday cannot meet all of the demands of the hungry in
America, it can - and has - served as an effective tool that encourages Americans to share their
resources with those who are less fortunate and hungry; and
WHEREAS, Feed America Thursday can - and has - served as a catalyst to help food banks and
community kitchens receive extra resources and commodities during the holiday season, a time of
year when there is a greater demand for the food and vital services they provide; and
WHEREAS, Feed America Thursday, does not require any additional expenditures of limited
public funds or divert any resources from ongoing programs, but instead encourages new
contributions from those more fortunate to be shared with those in our nation who are hungry,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U. S. Conference of Mayors supports
Thursday, one week before the traditional Thanksgiving as Feed America Thursday; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conference of Mayors supports calling upon the people
of this nation to sacrifice, or fast, for two meals on Thursday, one week before each traditional
Thanksgiving and donate the money they would have spent on food to a charitable or religious
organization of their choice for the purpose of feeding the hungry.
©2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors 
