CHICAGO - February 28 - America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network today awarded Bill Bolling, executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the 2006 Dick Goebel Public Service Award for outstanding commitment to ending hunger in his community and across the country. Bolling accepted the award at the 2006 National Anti- Hunger Policy Conference, a gathering in Washington, D.C. of more than 450 anti-hunger advocates, sponsored by America's Second Harvest and the Food Research Action Center (FRAC).

"Bill Bolling personifies the spirit of public and community service," said Robert Forney, president and chief executive officer of America's Second Harvest. "Bill has been an extraordinary leader for many years in efforts to end hunger in the Atlanta area, and he has been a tireless advocate on behalf of national public policies that help individuals and families in need. His enthusiasm, kindness and generosity are extraordinary assets to the America's Second Harvest Network and hungry people nationwide."

Bolling is the founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and has served as its executive director since 1979. In this capacity he oversees the distribution of more than 18 million pounds of good but unmarketable food each year through nearly 800 local and regional nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry. Prior to his association with the Food Bank, he served as director of community ministries for St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta.

He currently serves on Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin's Regional Commission on Homelessness, the Nonprofit Advisory Committee of the Andrew Young School at Georgia State University and the Advisory Boards of TechBridge and Hands On Atlanta. He is founder of the Atlanta Housing Forum, begun in 1988, and continues to serve as moderator of the Regional Housing Forum.

In 2005, Bolling helped plan and coordinate the first-ever Interfaith Convocation held at the Washington National Cathedral in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day. Over 37 heads of faith from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Native American traditions and 1,500 attendees participated in this service calling for an end to hunger in our lifetime.

The Dick Goebel Public Service Award was created in 2001 in honor of the Reverend Richard (Dick) Goebel for his many years of public service on behalf of hungry Americans. As founder and executive director of the Second Harvest St. Paul Food Bank in St. Paul, Minn. (now Second Harvest Heartland), Dick's dedicated service left a lasting legacy. Recipients of the Dick Goebel Public Service Award exemplify service to their communities, extensive public policy advocacy, and tireless enthusiasm and creativity in developing solutions to ending hunger both locally and nationally.

America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization, with a Network of more than 200 regional member food banks and food -- rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes nearly two billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The America's Second Harvest Network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than nine million children and nearly three million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit http://www.secondharvest.org.

Atlanta Community Food Bank
Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank annually distributes more than 18 million pounds of food to nearly 800 community-based hunger-relief organizations in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. In addition to food distribution, the Food Bank leads seven distinct community-building projects: Atlanta's Table, Community Garden Initiative, Hunger 101, Hunger Walk/Run, Kids in Need, Product Rescue Center and The Atlanta Collaborative Kitchen (TACK). For more information about the Food Bank, call 404-892-3333 or visit http://www.ACFB.org.

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