Jackieinpdx's Blog

Just another sign that the economy in the State of Oregon sucks big time.

Oregon ranks as the second hungriest state according to a United States Department of Agriculture study released Monday, only behind Mississippi.
 
The study reported that over 13 percent of Oregon households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008.
 

“These alarming numbers confirm the severe human toll of this recession and what the Oregon Food Bank network has been seeing for the past two years,” said Rachel Bristol, its chief executive. “Oregon has been hit especially hard.”

Nationwide, 14.6 percent of U.S. households, or about 49 million people, struggled to put enough food on the table; the highest number since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began tracking food security levels in 1995. The numbers are a significant increase from 2007, when 11.1 percent of U.S. households suffered from what the USDA classifies as “food insecurity”, not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.
 
The USDA said that 5.7 percent of those who didn’t have enough food experienced “very low food security,” meaning household members reduced their food intake.
 
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the numbers could be higher in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown.
 
The Oregon Food Bank, which delivers food to many Southern Oregon charities, has already handed out 66.2 million pounds of food this year, the highest amount it’s ever distributed in a single year.
 
“More people, more families come to our food pantry and our kitchen and dining facility. Last year we provided 53,500 meals. This year that will be 10 percent higher,” said Len Hebert with St. Vincent de Paul.
 
St. Vincent de Paul says this year it’ll spend about $400,000 more on helping the local community with rent, food, and utility programs.

Filed under: Local News, Oregon | Tagged: "poor economy", food banks, hungry, Oregon |