Food Insecurity in Oregon

 Food Insecurity In Oregon

- May 5th, 2024

Food insecurity is a well-known subject. There have been many previous blog posts on this topic and Portland is not shy of admitting to this issue. Many believe that food should and always should be universal. That everyone has the right to eat every single day. But that is simply not the case. many third world countries struggle to find nutritional food that many of us take for granted. We see countries far away that don't have much food and we cry for them, yet we sometimes forget that those at home, in the streets of Portland struggle with the same problems of hunger. This blog looks further into recent statistics and facts on a broader scale as Oregon is home to Portland and this affects us all. 

The Problem

According to the Oregon Hunger Task Force, 1 out of every 4 Oregonians are food insecure. That means 25 percent of the people that live with us here in this state of ours worry about whether they will have food at their table to not every single night. Before COVID it was only 1/10, but the pandemic caused a dramatic shift in security. In addition to this, communities of color experience 2 to 3 times the insecurity than the general population (Oregon Hunger Task Force). 

Hunger Facts (Oregon Food Bank)

Some key points that the Oregon Food Bank has updated as of February 5th, 2024, are that the rising cost of food and housing is contributing majorly to this food hunger crisis. Single moms, caregivers, communities of color, and trans communities also struggle highly with food insecurity. As of last year, there was a 14 percent increase in individuals visiting food assistance sites throughout the Oregon food bank network. In other words, they have a record high of 1.9 million visits. 

Insecurity is still on the rise...

Even though the pandemic was almost 4 years ago, the effects are still lingering and insecurity is still ramping up. As of Jan 29th, 2024, Lynne Terry notes that 11 percent of households are food insecure. It may not sound like much but it is still a major increase since 2019. This also means that 186,000 houses, or 463,000 people don't know when or how they will get food (OPB).

What is being done

Even with all these scary facts and the increase in food insecurity, actions are still being taken to prevent it from going much higher. According to OPB the Oregon Hunger Task Force is trying to push for a legislature that will provide and approve 12.7 million dollars to launch a free meal program for children and poor families in the summer of 2024. They are even pushing for more free school meals, regardless of whether they are able to pay or not within schools that don't already provide this. In addition to this, they are asking for 6 million dollars to be approved for a student emergency need package. 

What you and I can do

Of course, this doesn't center on Portland, but it still impacts us heavily. Many of the starving families and children within the city will be positively impacted and much more is to come. Aside from what this task force is already doing, we can further this help for our neighbors of Portland and Oregon by helping out and providing leftover or unwanted food at your local food banks. 

Refrences

America, Submitted by Hunger Free. “New Study: Oregon Hunger Soaring Due to Federal Aid Cuts.” Herald, 29 Jan. 2024, www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/new-study-oregon-hunger-soaring-due-to-federal-aid-cuts/article_1ac1fef1-f4b7-5aa6-9883-fd7555d04b85.html.

Oregon Hunger Facts, www.oregonfoodbank.org/posts/oregon-hunger-facts.

“Research.” Oregon Hunger Task Force, www.oregonhungertaskforce.org/research/. Accessed 5 May 2024.

Terry, Lynne. “Food Insecurity Is on the Rise in Oregon after Downward Trend before the Pandemic.” Opb, OPB, 29 Jan. 2024, www.opb.org/article/2024/01/29/oregon-food-insecurity-hunger/.