OFB Network releases annual statewide statistics

PORTLAND, Ore. (Sept. 10, 2009) – High unemployment and growing foreclosures forced a record number of people in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., to seek emergency food in fiscal year 2008-09, Rachel Bristol, CEO of Oregon Food Bank, announced today.

Distribution of emergency food boxes throughout the Oregon Food Bank Network skyrocketed to historic highs, according to the OFB Networks' annual year-end report (July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009) released today. Distribution of emergency food boxes increased more than 14 percent from 792,000 in 2007-08 to 897,000 in 2008-09 – an annual increase of 105,000 additional emergency food boxes.

"This is unprecedented," Bristol emphasized. "It's by far the largest number of emergency food boxes the OFB Network has ever distributed in a single fiscal year."

In many parts of the state, emergency food distribution increased more than 20 percent, i.e., 29 percent in Klamath and Lake counties, 28 percent in Washington County, 27 percent in Tillamook County, 24 percent in Columbia County, 23 percent in Josephine County and 20 percent in Clatsop County.

Clackamas and Multnomah counties saw a 14 percent increase, and Clark County, Wash., saw requests for emergency food climb 13.4 percent.

"Throughout the OFB Network, agencies reported seeing many, many new faces ... people seeking help for the first time in their lives ... people who previously had good jobs and never thought they would need help," Bristol said.

The number of people per month who ate meals from an emergency food box jumped from an average of 200,000 per month in 2007-08 to 240,000 per month in 2008-09.

Households with children are the largest group receiving emergency food. In an average month, an estimated 85,000 children ate meals from an emergency food box.

In addition, soup kitchens and shelters served 3.8-million emergency meals. And 96,000 people received supplemental food through other OFB Network agencies and programs, such as low-income senior centers and daycare centers.

"We were only able to meet this staggering demand for food," Bristol said, "due to increased supply from USDA and to an outpouring of community generosity."

Donated funds helped Oregon Food Bank increase the amount of purchased food to 6.9-million pounds to supplement food donations for statewide distribution to hunger-relief agencies. That's a 6 percent increase over the previous year.

Thanks in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, food from USDA increased from 5.3-million pounds in 2007-08 to 10.1-million pounds in 2008-09 – returning to levels not seen for five years.

Of the 66.3-million pounds of food collected by the Oregon Food Bank Network, 53 percent came from food-industry donations, 16 percent from food drives, 16 percent from USDA and 15 percent was purchased. That compares to 57.7-million pounds of food collected by the OFB Network in 2007-08.

"We thank the community for not only donating food and funds but also for donating its time to Oregon Food Bank, regional food banks and local agencies," Bristol said.

Volunteers donated 1,765,000 hours to the Oregon Food Bank Network. That's equivalent to 852 full-time workers with an estimated value of $28.5 million.

"Although the steep trajectory of the last two years is beginning to slow down, the need for emergency food remains at alarmingly high levels," said Bristol. "While we hear good news that the stock market is beginning to recover, employment and wages will recover much more slowly. And with reports that many people will lose unemployment benefits beginning in October, we anticipate requests for emergency food to surge yet again.

"We ask for the community's continued support," Bristol said. "September is national Hunger Action Month, and we encourage everyone in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., to donate food, funds and time to help fight hunger."

For more information on ways to take action, visit www.oregonfoodbank.org.

The Oregon Food Bank Network is a cooperative statewide coalition of 20 regional food banks working to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Oregon Food Bank equitably distributes food from corporate, community and government sources throughout this network. Regional food banks distribute this food and additional resources from local donations to more than 935 local partner agencies serving low-income people in their communities. Sixteen of the regional food banks are independent nonprofit organizations. Oregon Food Bank operates the other four directly.
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Note to reporters and editors: Rachel Bristol, CEO of Oregon Food Bank, will be available for comments and interviews Thursday, Sept. 10, 10:15 a.m. to noon. See full report, including charts and graphs, at www.oregonfoodbank.org.

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Contacts

Oregon Food Bank
Jean Kempe-Ware, public relations manager
503-419-4170
jkempe-ware@oregonfoodbank.org