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Oregon’s hunger rate is growing, according to a new federal report.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report on Household Food Security released Monday, Nov. 16, found that in 2008, 17 million U.S. households – 14.6 percent – were food insecure and families had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year.
That’s an increase from 13 million households, or 11.1 percent, in 2007. It was also the highest level of food insecurity seen in the nation since the agency’s Economic Research Service began the food security surveys in 1995.
In Oregon, according to the survey, an average of 6.6 percent of the households (about 95,000 households per year), between January 2006 and December 2008, experienced times when they were hungry but did not eat because there was not enough money for food.
A larger group, 13.1 percent of Oregon households, experienced food insecurity, meaning that these households lack consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food. That compares to 11.9 percent during the 2003-05 period — a 1.2 percent increase.
The survey found that Oregon is among the five states with the highest hunger rate, with Mississippi, Maine, Oklahoma and Missouri. Only Mississippi, at 7.4 percent, had a higher percentage than Oregon of hunger.
“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, chief executive officer of the Oregon Food Bank. “Oregon has been hit especially hard.”
The Oregon Food Bank Network distributed 66.2 million pounds of food in 2008-09 – the highest amount distributed by the statewide network in a single year.
Bristol said that distribution of emergency food boxes throughout the Oregon Food Bank Network increased 14 percent – from 786,000 to 897,000 – during 2008-09. In many parts of the state, emergency food distribution increased more than 20 percent. And 36 percent of those eating meals from emergency food boxes are children.
“Oregon’s rise in hunger mirrors Oregon’s rise in unemployment,” said Patti Whitney-Wise, executive director of the Oregon Hunger Task Force.
On Monday, Oregon officials said the state’s unemployment rate for October was stable at 11.3 percent, the same as September’s adjust unemployment rate. There were about 210,325 Oregonians out of work in October.
Disgraceful, this country is truly disgraceful.
I'm always amazed that throughout human history, human consciousness makes no advancement.
Those that have always get more and the rest just barely hang on, always and forever I guess.
Planet earth, the ultimate pain factory.
(email verified)
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 09:23 AM
To "More Food does not mean Less Hunger". The reason that you have hunger and high obesity rates is simple. It's price. If you are feeding a couple of kids on food stamps you cannot afford organic produce. How are the poor suppose to pay for a nutrition class. If you are having to take the bus to one place for food another for medical care and another for shelter and wait in long lines at all three and look for a job; you do not have a lot of time on your hands. The working poor and jobless are busy trying to get by on very little. The average amount for food stamps is $100 a month. The average unemployment check a little over $400 a week. Try paying the rent and feeding a couple of kids on that. Many people's unemployment has run out and all they have are food stamps. I live downtown and see homeless people digging in the garbage cans for something to eat. Open your eyes to what is really going on and have some compassion. Not everyone is sitting at their computer with a full belly in a safe warm place.
(email verified)
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 11:07 AM
I knew that suggesting a little accountability on the part of the individual would bring out the enablers who can only find rediculous reasons that a person can't eat responsibly rather than finding ways to help people eat responsibly.
How do these super obese people who are always hungry afford the massive amounts of food it takes to support their obesity? Why is the obesity rate increasing if the food supply is so limited?
I have compassion for those truly in need and those truly starving, like in Africa. Making excuses for the gluttons in America diminishes the real struggle for food in third world countries. Where is your outrage over taking their main food supply, namely corn, and turning it into ethanol for your gas tank? You do need to Get Real.
(email verified)
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 07:44 AM
One must wonder what exactly constitutes "food insecurity?" Is there a monetary incentive for some government agencies and non-profits to pad the numbers? You bet there is! In order to take more resources from one group by force and give to another, there must be a crisis. What's the old saying, From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
We recently learned that if a school student lives with relatives other than his or her biological parents, they are counted as homeless, which of course translates into more federal tax money for "homeless" programs.
Just yesterday we learned that Oregon has received so-called stimulus money for congressional districts that do not exist. In those phantom districts, 15 jobs were created costing the tax payers a measly $4.9 million dollars, or $326,624 per job.
"Trust us, we're from the government and we're here to help." Uh-huh.
(email verified)
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 07:49 AM
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Re: Report: More Oregonians went hungry in ’08
How does the rise in the obesity rate follow the rise in both hunger and "food insecurity"? A lot of these obese "hungry" people don't need more food, they need more nutritious food and less processed fattening food. They need to learn how to shop and cook for themselves with all of the spare time their unemployment brings them.
The more people eat, the more they get hungry, and the more it takes to satisfy their hunger. This does not seem like a good way to measure actual food deprivation rates when a lot of these perceptions are based on sheer gluttony.
"More Food does not mean Less Hunger"
(email verified)
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 08:09 AM