Oregon Food Bank Volunteer Event

Help Stop Hunger!

We need your helping hands ... because no one should go HUNGRY.

In our industry, we create, cater, and consume some of the finest foods in town, but there are families who are less fortunate. As a team, MPI Oregon Chapter can help our community. We will repackage and sort bulk non-perishable food items, fresh produce, frozen foods or other projects.
 
Join us for a few hours on Tuesday, December 7th from 2pm – 4pm at the Oregon Food Bank's Volunteer Action Center. Space is limited.
 
If you can participate or need further details, please contact Community Outreach Chair Lisa Chan, CMP at lisachan@oregoncc.org or 503.235.7572. Sign up and help us make a difference today and for tomorrow.

The Need

Emergency food box distribution begins to level at record highs

• Distribution of emergency food boxes throughout the OFB Network increased 2 percent, from 897,000 in 2007-08 to 917,000 in 2009-10 — an increase of 20,000 additional emergency food boxes.
• Since the beginning of the recession, emergency food box distribution increased a total of 17 percent. That means the network distributed 130,000 more food boxes than it did two years ago.
• A typical emergency food box provides a three- to five-day supply of groceries. Most food pantries serve a specific geographic area and limit the number of times a family can receive help. Most households seek emergency food boxes less than four times a year.

More people seek emergency food

• More than 240,000 people per month ate meals from emergency food boxes. That compares to about 200,000 in 2007-08.
• 3.8-million emergency meals were served at soup kitchens and shelters.
• And more than 90,000 people received food through other programs in the OFB Network.

The Oregon Food Bank statewide network moved a record 72-million pounds of food last year.

Who is hungry?

• 25 percent of households receiving emergency food had at least one working member.
• 33 percent of those receiving emergency food are children.
• Households with children are the largest group served. Children who are hungry have more difficulty learning in school and have a higher risk for health problems later in life. 
• Most adult emergency food recipients are looking for work, working, retired or disabled.
• Agencies continue to see new faces ...people seeking help for the first time in their lives.

Statistics provided by the Oregon Food Bank