Volunteer Julian Trigueros of Butler packs some boxes full of food into the cooler at St. Vincent DePaul on Friday. A bipartisan bill, introduced to the U.S. Senate in part by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, would ease restrictions on those donating food to food banks and families in need.

Feed the hungry.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2019 to the Senate this month with hopes it will help food banks collect and distribute more food to needy families.

“Hunger does exist in this county. I have a feeling there are a lot of pockets of folks out there that we don't know about,” said Janine Kennedy of Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, which manages the Butler County Food Bank.

Kennedy said the bipartisan bill would likely have a direct impact on the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, increasing their stock, which should trickle down to local food pantries.

“We actually get a lot of products from them,” Kennedy said. “Sometimes it's lean, but sometimes, it's a whole truckload of stuff.”

According to a news release, Toomey's bill would help sell prepared dishes like microwaveable dinners for a nominal cost by extending liability protections to food donors when food is either given directly to a person in need or when a recipient pays a deeply reduced cost.

The proposed legislation would also require the USDA to issue regulations clarifying the quality and labeling standards donated food must meet.

“Donating food to the less fortunate should be as easy as possible,” Toomey said.

Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle