Increase Food Security in Oregon

Recession takes its toll on families

Latest USDA hunger report shows continuing hunger crisis in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 15, 2010) – Hunger in Oregon continued to hover far above the national average as the Great Recession battered Oregon’s economy, according to the 2009 hunger report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

• Oregon, once again, remains among the top five hungriest states in the nation, as it was last year.
• About 13.9 percent of households – more than half-a-million Oregonians – suffered food insecurity.
• And 6.6 percent of households – more than 225,000 individuals -- suffer very low food security – or hunger.

Food-insecure households had difficulty providing enough food for their family because they lacked resources. About a third of food-insecure households suffer very low food security (hunger), which means they cut or skipped meals, sometimes for whole days, because they didn’t have enough money or other resources for food.

“No one should be hungry,” said Rachel Bristol, CEO, Oregon Food Bank. “Hunger affects a child’s ability to learn and a worker’s ability to be productive. Ultimately, it affects everyone in our society. Working together, we can eliminate hunger and its root causes,” said Bristol. “It’s not only the right thing to do, it makes economic sense.”

 “The bad economy has taken a hard toll on Oregonians. The unemployment rate remains high, along with home foreclosures and other indicators that families are struggling,” said Patti Whitney-Wise, executive director, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. “This report shows us that Oregonians are choosing to go without food to pay for needs such as housing, healthcare and childcare.”

These numbers are the harsh reality but with your assistance Oregon Food Bank has been able to distribute a record number of pounds of food for hunger relief.  Thank you for supporting our efforts ...because no one should be hungry.

Dear Friends,

Did you know that Oregon Food Bank was created in the early 1980s when Oregon was in a bad recession? The economic downturn was fueled by timber mill closures and government layoffs; unemployment was at 12 percent. At the time, we served 200,000 people annually. Today, unemployment in the state remains above 10 percent. And, the OFB Network distributed more than 900,000 emergency food boxes last year in Oregon and Clark County, Wash. The demand for emergency food has grown over the years but, fortunately, so have our programs and donations of food, money and volunteer time.

Donors, like you, have allowed us to meet the demand for emergency food through specific product purchases to round out the emergency food boxes. During the spring/summer we also supplement the non-perishable goods with produce from gardens throughout the state.

As reliance on the OFB Network has grown we have had to work strategically to meet the needs. One area that is flourishing is our Learning Garden program. Oregon Food Bank directly manages two gardens that not only provide produce but also teach the community how to be self-reliant. "The though economy has renewed people's interest in gardening," says Rebeca Siplak, OFB Learning Garden program coordinator. "I'm excited for the future of the program as more and more people learn to garden. Each family that can grow its own food brings us one step closer to creating a strong, local, sustainable food system, eventually eliminating hunger."

OFB's garden education programs address the root causes of hunger through improved nutrition, community food security and self-reliance. For many clients, the produce they receive from the Oregon Food Bank Network local partner agencies is their only source of produce. They just can't afford to buy it at the grocery store.

Our mission is to end the root causes of hunger and with your support we continue to aim for that goal through education, advocacy, and food distribution. Thank you!