Pa. Needy Program
(Continued Irom Page 020)
food banks, the Red Cross, Com
munity Action Programs, Area
Agencies on the Aging, and dozens
of public, private and religious ser
vice agencies have joined hands to
produce this effort on behalf of our
needy families and individuals.
•The system that, has been
developed in Pennsylvania for
delivery of these commodities is
the result of more than a year of
experience. At one point in time,
the Department had signed
distribution agreements with 396
local, county and regional
organizations to distribute process
cheese. Now, however, although
these organizations continue to
provide their essential tune and
local knowledge, we are working
though our County Commissioners
to have a sole responsible coor
dinating agency in each county. At
this time, 55 of our 6'7 counties are
functioning with a single agency
serving that coordinating capaci
ty.
"The Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture is proud of what has
been accomplished since January
of 1982 at a cost of only $300,000.
The unprecedented use of local
governments and volunteers
enabled us to assume the respon
sibility of this program on short
notice without additional staff or
(SC\THy TRACTOR
POLLS..
fOtk
Saturday, September 17,1983
First Event Jdmissjon
10 A.M. -4 P.M. Adults $3.50
Entries will be accepted Children - $ 1.00
until 9:30 A.M.
Featuring anyone who has a vehicle capable of pulling the sled. Farm Tractors,
Garden Tractors, Modified Tractors of past years, 4 Wheel Drive, Street Trucks,
Truck Tractors.
Second Event Admlssi()n:
7 R.M. Adults $5.50
State Tractors and Trucks Children - $1.75
cost to the state’s taxpayers.
"Pennsylvania’s role in this pro
gram is that of middleman— work
ing to establish local distribution
outlets to best serve local needs,
placing orders with the U.S
Department of Agriculture in
response to local agency requests,
and in some cases, providing cold
storage warehouse space to better
accommodate local needs for
space and tuning. We have also
assumed the added responsiblity
for taking representative samples
of these commodities as they ar
rive to insure quality.
"We are working with a
statewide volunteer Advisory
Committee and the hundreds of
local agencies involved to insure
that these commodities reach the
truly needy of the state most effi
ciently and effectively. And we are
working with the USDA to con
tinually adjust our plans to meet
their program changes.
"These program changes, which
include varying quantities and
allocations, essentially determine
which commodities, in what quan
tities and the time frame for
delivery of these commodities to
the Commonwealth. In the face of
the unpredictable nature of these
USDA offerings at tunes, the job
that has been done by the par
ticipants in Pennsylvania’s pro
1974
BUCK TRACTOR PULLS
2 EVENTS
LOCATION: 10 Miles South of Lancaster On Rt. 272
SEE YOU AT THE BUCK!
gram has been superb.
"Since the initial announcement
of a "cheese distribution" by the
President, the Needy Family Com
modity Distribution program has
expanded to include butter, nonfat
dry milk, cornmeal, flour, honey
and milled nee. The public expects
to see these commodities at the
local level, yet the actual quan
tities which are allocated by USDA
based on available surpluses may
not serve all those who are needy.
"For example, Pennsylvania's
allotments of commodities for the
Needy Family Program from July
through September, as they stand
now, show.
88,000 five-pound bags of corn
meal
280,224 two-pound bags of milled
rice
204,000 three-pound cans ot
honey and 144,000 live-pound bags
of A.P. flour.
"Butter shipments scheduled for
September into Pennsylvania in
clude three trucks-115,236 one
pound blocks These figures make
it obvious that with 1.25 million
families being served, allocations
are necessary, and we are dealing
with that necessity through
cooperation of agencies and the
Advisory Committee
"Since the passage of F.L 98-6
(The Jobs Bill) our involvement in
food and feeding programs has
been expanded even further to in
clude foods distributed to
L
cooperative emergency feeding
facilities such as soup kitchens,
temporary shelters and hunger
centers which prepare on-site
meals That bill additionally pro
vided funding to the stale to reim
burse costs for administering the
Needy Family Program through to
the local level With state approval
for these funds only recently pass
ed, we will seek a statewide coor
dinated effort to make best use of
the funding. The Statewide Task
Force on the Jobs Bill, which in
cludes representatives of the
United Way, County Commis
sioners Association and many
other social service organizations,
will consider these uses
‘The state's 1983-1984 budget
provides an additional appropria
tion of *8 million to supplement
these hunger programs 1 can
assure the Committee, that based
on the performance record of the
past 18 months, these surplus food
products will reach our truly needy
individuals and families at a most
reasonable cost
‘These programs, and the other
programs which deal with govern
ment donated surplus com
modities, are coordinated bj our
Bureau of Government Donated
Food, which transferred to the
Department of Agriculture in July,
1981. Since that time, the role of the
Bureau has greatly expanded.
"While additional respon
sibilities were being placed on the
PULLS.
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 10,1983-021
V
*
0
ROHRER'S
QUALITY SEEDS
FOR FALL SEEDING
• Apollo Alfalfa
• Apollo II Alfalfa
• Armour Alfalfa
• Vangard Alfalfa
• Redland Clover
• Baylor Brome Grass
• Orchard Grass
• Toro Timothy
• Certified Climax Timothy
• Annual Rye Grass
• Winter Rye
• Highland Pasture Mix
• • Winter Vetch
Holland Extra Baler Twine
Holland Extra Baler Twine
Cert. Barsoy, Barley. Cert. Maury Barley.
Cert. Hart Wheat, Cert. Logan Wheat,
Cert. Titan Wheat, Cert. Hunter Wheat
P. L. ROHRER & BRO., INC.
' o
SMOKETOWN. PA PH: 717-299-2571
Bureau, we have been working to
streamline it* procedures, to pro
vide a more workable and efficient
system for the distribution of
donated foods through other ongo
ing programs
"This year the conunercial
warehouses which store govern
ment donated food were selected
after a bidding procedure, and
after taking local agencies needs
and transportation costs into con
sideration We expect the end
result of this action will be easiei
access to the commodities for local
participating agencies.
In summary, Mr Chairman. 1
feel that through cooperation,
planning and a tremendous
volunteer effort by Pennsylvania's
local governments, food banks and
charitable organizations. Penn
sylvania s 1.25 million needy
families have been well served by
this federal program
"The thousand* of individuals,
hundreds of social service
organizations like Catholic Social
Services and the United Wa>, for
example, and the dozens of count)
and local governments who have
participated in this program have
made it possible
'What began as a one-time
distribution of surplus government
donated cheese, has now resulted
in 19.5 million pounds of cheese and
nine million pounds of butter being
placed in the hands of Penn
sylvania’s needy—more than $42 5
million of these foods distributed
for just $300,000 That is a ratio of
better than $1,417 of commodities
distributed for every one dollar in
storage or distribution costs—a
record i would challenge anyone to
match
"We are proud of our role in ser
ving as a clearinghouse for orders,
scheduling and deliver) of these
commodities for distribution, and
we will continue our efforts to fine
tune the system and respond to
both local needs and federal pro
gram changes.
"I look forward to working with
these agencies, the advisory coun
cil and the General Assembl) in
continuing this programs ex
emplary service to the citizens of
the commonwealth
'At this time, I would be please
to answer any questions > ou or the
Committee may have
Order Your Fall Grain Now