The General Assembly, in order to promote the general welfare, hereby declares as public policy that the Commonwealth's abundance of food should be utilized to its utmost extent. The General Assembly hereby finds that the limited food purchasing power of low income households contributes to hunger and malnutrition. In an effort to alleviate such hunger and malnutrition and supplement other Federal and State food assistance programs, the provisions of this act are intended to stimulate the donation of food to charitable or religious organizations and thereby assist low income households in need.