CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
Prodigmation
WHEREAS, hunger, poverty, food, and nutritional insecurity are issues of vital concern in California, where 20% of Californians face food insecurity daily, and one in every six children does not know where their next meal will come from; and WHEREAS, the month of September has been designated "Hunger Action Month" to bring attention to food insecurity in our communities and to engage the public in action - including volunteer shifts, social media shares, and donations - to ensure nobody has to make an impossible choice between food and other necessities like medicine, utilities or childcare; and WHEREAS, more than eight hundred thousand individuals in Orange County, on average, rely on food provided by the CAPOC/Orange County Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, and Abound Food Care monthly; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Hunger Alliance has distributed more than 82 million pounds of food in the last year through its network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community organizations; and
WHEREAS, the City of Costa Mesa is committed to taking steps to combat hunger in every part of our community and to providing additional resources that residents in our community need; and
WHEREAS, the City of Costa Mesa is committed to working with the Orange County Hunger Alliance in educating people about the role and importance of food banks in addressing hunger and raising awareness of the need to devote more resources and attention to hunger issues; and WHEREAS, food banks across the country, including the California Association of Food Banks members, will host numerous events throughout September to bring awareness and help end hunger and food insecurity in their local communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, John B. Stephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa, do hereby proclaim September 2022 as HUNGER ACTION MONTH, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.
Dated this 6th day of September 2022
John B. Stephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa