“Many years ago (1968-70), I lived in a basement in Chicago, with 10 others for 11 dollars a week, each. A lot of money for one on the streets at that time. All I owned was in a paper bag that I hugged all night so no one would take it. I did odd jobs until an old friend and I hooked up. She did everything to help me get a job, a decent place to stay, and within a very short period, I had a brand new car and was on my way to a new, productive and successful career. I am now semi-retried and have a wonderful family, because a friend reached out and helped me at my lowest point in life.” PROVIDENCE, R.I. — April 12, 2000 — To raise awareness of the hunger struggle in America, the URI Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America is releasing stories marking the plights of the hungry nationwide. The stories have been gathered from concerned citizens (whose contributions are anonymous) around the country who have signed on to the Feinstein Petition to End Hunger. Alan Shawn Feinstein’s petition to Congress and the president asks them to make a commitment to ending hunger in America. The Center is in strong support of the Feinstein Petition to End Hunger and urges people to sign on today at www.uri.edu/ or www.feinsteinfoundation.com/ or by calling (401) 277-5450 to obtain a copy of the petition. Feinstein says he will continue the hunger petition drive until Congress and the president respond to the will of the people. Visitors to the URI petition site are invited to share their stories about why hunger issues are important to them. The Hunger Center calls for these stories to help put a face on the issues of hunger and to heighten awareness regarding the differing hunger problems around the globe. Each person accessing the sites can also send a free meal daily to a hungry person with just one click. According to statistics released from the Rhode Island Food Bank, 8.7 per cent of Rhode Island households are unsure of where their next meal will be coming from. Feinstein calls this “a disgrace for the greatest country in the world.” The URI Hunger Center was established in 1999 as a partnership between the University of Rhode Island and the Feinstein Foundation to move the issue of hunger to the forefront of America’s consciousness. It aims to end hunger first in Rhode Island and then around the globe. -xxx- For Information: Kathy Cevoli, 401-277-5427, Jan Sawyer, 401-874-2116