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HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK WHEREAS, According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 770,000 people in the United States are homeless; and WHEREAS, According to the Department of Education, an estimated 700,000 children go to bed hungry across our nation on any given night; and WHEREAS, People may be hungry and homeless because of a shortage of affordable housing, lack of insurance in healthcare crises, job loss in a down economy, mental illness or substance disuse disorders, reduced funding for social services, inadequate education to meet competitive employment criteria, et cetera; and WHEREAS, According to federal poverty measures, a living wage is that which allows families to meet basic needs including food, housing, clothing, utilities, healthcare, childcare, taxes, personal items, savings, and transportation without public assistance, and provides some ability to deal with emergencies and to plan ahead; and WHEREAS, According to the 2010 Job Gap Study by the Alliance for a Just Society, Idaho’s living wage for a single adult is $14.25 per hour, and for a single adult with two children, is $26.44 per hour; and WHEREAS, The State and Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour; and WHEREAS, for the past several years, the National Coalition for the Homeless and National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness have sponsored National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to raise awareness, encourage support for service providers, and afford opportunities for community service; and WHEREAS, the theme of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2011 is Bringing America Home; and WHEREAS, a local coalition of organizations, agencies, and individuals is committed to working together with the public to meet the variety of needs of people living in poverty on the Palouse; NOW, THEREFORE, I Nancy Chaney, Mayor for the City of Moscow, Idaho, do hereby proclaim November 12-20, 2011 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in the City of Moscow, and I encourage everyone to help fellow citizens to the extent they are able, to address needs for food, housing, and other basic services, not just during holiday seasons but throughout the year. DATED this 7th day of November, 2011 Copy Copy Copy