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The Franklin City Council voted 6-0 at its Sept. 9 meeting to proclaim September as Hunger Action Month in the city, answering the call from the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, which operates its Western Tidewater Branch in Franklin at 618 South St.

There were only six votes on the proclamation because Ward 2 Councilman Ray Smith was not present for the meeting.

Prior to the council’s vote, Ward 4 Councilman Dr. Linwood Johnson read the proclamation aloud.

The 2024 Hunger Action Month Proclamation reads as follows:

“Whereas, hunger and poverty are issues of vital concern in Virginia where more than 11% of people face hunger and one in every seven children do not know where their next meal will come from; and

“Whereas, everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, and in every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families — yet in 2022, 44 million people — one in seven — including more than 13 million children — one in five — faced food insecurity in the U.S. That includes 650 in the city of Franklin; and

“Whereas, the city of Franklin of Virginia is committed to taking steps to combat hunger in every part of our community and to provide additional resources that those in Southeastern Virginia need; and

“Whereas, the city of Franklin of Virginia is committed to working with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, a member of the Feeding America® nationwide network of food banks, in educating people about the role and importance of food banks in addressing hunger and raising awareness of the need to devote more resources and attention to hunger issues; and

“Whereas, more than 13.8% of individuals in the city of Franklin rely on food provided by the members of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore annually; and

“Whereas, the members of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore distributed more than 20 million meals in fiscal year 2024 through its network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community organizations; and

“Whereas, the month of September has been designated ‘Hunger Action Month’ and Sept. 10 as ‘Hunger Action Day’ in order to bring attention to food insecurity in our communities and to enlist the public in the movement to end hunger by taking action — including volunteer shifts, social media shares and donations — to ensure every community, and everybody in it, has the food they need to thrive;

“Whereas, food banks across the country, including the members of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks — Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, Feed More, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, and Feeding Southwest Virginia — will host numerous events throughout the month of September to bring awareness and help end hunger in their local community;

“Now, therefore, I, Robert ‘Bobby’ Cutchins II, do hereby recognize September 2024, as Hunger Action Month in our city of Franklin of Virginia, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.”

Teri Zurfluh, who works locally with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, came forward to accept a printed copy of the proclamation from Franklin Mayor Robert “Bobby” Cutchins.

As she came up, several council members shared some comments on the work she and the Foodbank does at the Western Tidewater Branch.

Johnson said, “I’m very proud that she’s doing an excellent job and with the stakeholders and the volunteers that are providing the service for this community, because several years ago, (then-Foodbank President and CEO) Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols and I put together a $3.5 million grant to buy the facility and to make this possible for the community and the city of Franklin, and I’m happy to see that it’s growing forward and moving, and we’re serving the community and the communities around us.”

Cutchins and Ward 1 Councilman Mark R. Kitchen also praised the work done by Zurfluh and the Foodbank out of the facility at 618 South St.

Ward 6 Councilwoman Jessica G. Banks said, “It was two summers ago, Camp Courageous, we needed a place because of a last-minute change where we were being housed, and I just want to say Teri opened up the doors for the camp to be housed there during the summer, and we were appreciative.

“So you have gone over and beyond just serving the community with food, but giving those kids a place to be dropped off and picked up, thank you so very much for all that you do,” she said.

Ward 3 Councilman Gregory McLemore echoed the gratitude of his fellow council members, and he encouraged citizens who might have need to benefit from the ease of access the Foodbank has provided to nutritional help.

“And they also have facilities that are available to the community, as Ms. Banks mentioned,” he added. “When you need a place to meet for your organization or something, they’re there for you.”

After the vote on the proclamation, Cutchins invited Zurfluh to speak, and she deflected praise to the council.

“There’s not a person up here who hasn’t either visited or come and put sweat equity into that building,” she said. “You all were one of the cities that we asked to actually proclaim this month as Hunger Action Month; you’re one of the few that came through.”

She indicated that she was not at all surprised that Franklin answered the call.