Bread for the World Honors the Legacy of Sen. George McGovern

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bread for the World joins the anti-hunger community in offering condolences to family and friends of the late George McGovern. The former U.S. senator and ambassador devoted much of his career to fighting for programs that support hungry and poor people in the United States and around the world.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of such a great leader on global hunger," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. "Sen. McGovern's legacy and commitment to ending hunger will live on through the McGovern-Dole feeding program and his accomplishments as a World Food Prize laureate."

Sen. George McGovern (D-S.D.) was instrumental in feeding hungry people in the United States by reforming the food stamp program in the 1970s. Working closely with Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kans.) to cosponsor the bill, Sen. McGovern modernized and expanded the program now known as SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which currently assists 46 million Americans. The two senators also established the International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which serves millions of people in developing countries.

Named in honor of Sens. McGovern and Dole, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program has provided low-income countries with U.S. agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance for school feeding programs since the 1990s. The program also supports maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs. With funding of about $200 million in 2010, McGovern-Dole has served approximately 5 million beneficiaries in 28 countries.

"Sen. McGovern's anti-hunger legacy is apparent in the millions of lives that have been spared through the programs he sponsored," added Beckmann. "We pray lawmakers will continue his bipartisan commitment to ending world hunger by supporting the McGovern-Dole school feeding initiative and other programs that help lift millions out of poverty from potentially devastating federal budget cuts."

Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26 at Mary Sommervold Hall at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science in Sioux Falls, S.D. A private burial will take place at a later date at a Washington, D.C., cemetery.       

Bread for the World (www.bread.org) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

SOURCE Bread for the World

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