Food insecurity: Hard times, empty shelves put more families at risk

By Kristine Thomas

Dixon Bledsoe and Sr. Angela Meister have the same problem – the need for food to stock the shelves at their respective food banks.

Bledsoe is the executive director of Silverton Area Community Aid and Meister is responsible for Mission Benedict in Mount Angel.

There are two, soup-storage units at SACA – one is empty and the other has a smattering of cans on one of its five shelves. That same week at Mission Benedict, there were nine cans of tuna on the shelf as volunteers prepared to open the doors.

The low numbers of soup and tuna cans on the shelves of the two nonprofit food banks are an indication of what the national statistics indicate – people are struggling with food insecurity.

Open four week days – closed on Thursdays – SACA serves 18 to 20 families a day.

Open every Friday from 1 to 3:30 p.m., Mission Benedict serves an average of 18 families a week. Families can visit the food banks once a month for food and receive a three- to five-day supply.

Each year the U.S. Census Bureau measures food insecurity through a series of questions about a household’s ability to obtain food for an active, healthy life for all members. According to the Oregon Food Bank, the numbers continue to tell a troubling story:

• About 13.7 percent of households – more than 500,000 Oregonians – suffered food insecurity in 2008-2010 meaning they lacked consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food. That compares to 13.9 percent during the 2007-09 period.

• 6.1 percent of households – more than 223,000 individuals – suffered “very low” food security – also known as hunger – in 2008-2010. Family members ate less, skipped meals or sometimes went without food for entire days. The current assessment remains statistically equivalent to the 6.6 percent rate for 2007-09.
Oregon Food Bank CEO Rachel Bristol said Oregon’s ability to hold the line on food insecurity rates in 2010 is a reflection of the collaborative effort of state agencies, nonprofits and community volunteers to enroll eligible families in federal food and nutrition programs.

“For example, 1 in 5 Oregon households participate in SNAP (food stamps) (compared to 1 in 7 nationally) and 65 percent of our kids who are eligible are now receiving free or reduced price lunches,” Bristol said.

“Federal stimulus funding provided record levels of nutritious foods for emergency food boxes distributed by the Oregon Food Bank Network as more families lost homes to foreclosures and ran out of unemployment.”

MISSION BENEDICT
On a Friday in September, a line of people patiently waited for Mission Benedict to open.

Inside, volunteers placed food on shelves, prepared shopping carts and straightened items.

Sandy Winsor has been a volunteer at Mission Benedict since 1994. Winsor said winter months are usually highest in terms of need because there is less farm work.

The number of adults and children served for the first two quarters of 2011 increased by 9 percent compared to 2010. An average month sees Mission St. Benedict help feed 360 people.

Taking a look at the food pantry, Winsor noted she had nine cans of tuna, seven bottles of cooking oil and two bars of soap, but peanut butter and soup supplies looked better.

“You never know what you are going to find here as the food we have changes week-to-week,” Winsor said.

Both SACA and Mission Benedict receive food shipments once a week from Marion-Polk Food Share that distributes nearly 7.7 million pounds of food annually through partnership with a network of more than 97 member direct-service charities.

Although many families are struggling to make ends meet due to the economy, Mission Benedict volunteer Ginger Allen realizes some families may be hesitant to visit a food bank because of embarrassment.

“We don’t ask a lot of questions – just how many people there are in the family and make sure they live in the Mount Angel or Monitor area,” she said. “We don’t judge people. Instead, we are here to help people. Everybody falls down in their lifetime. It takes a community to help them back up on their feet.”

SILVERTON AREA COMMUNITY AID
As Dixon Bledsoe prepares for Silverton Area Community Aid’s annual Food Drive on Oct. 15, he said SACA is continuing to serve about the same number of people each week as last year – which set organizational records. The difference he has noticed is in his clients’ demeanor.

“The pain they are experiencing is more pronounced and more severe,” Bledsoe said. “You can see the pain on their faces and hear it in their voices and words.”

He said SACA has clients working two to three jobs and barely making ends meet. They are dealing with reduced hours, layoffs and increased food and energy costs.

“A lot of people who come here have lost hope or are just on the verge of it,” he said. “They no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

And that’s where he and his volunteers step in – by providing 7 to 10 days worth of food.

“We have incredible volunteers who are compassionate,” Bledsoe said. “They are confidential and don’t talk about who comes down here for food.”

In the past few months, Bledsoe has seen five families who normally donate food for others become clients. He has received phone calls from people too embarrassed to visit the food bank during regular hours, asking if they can visit at another time. Bledsoe usually obliges, because “when people are hungry, they are hungry.”

What provides him encouragement is the support he receives from the community. He is grateful for the churches that donate food and help at the food bank and for the food donations from Roth’s, Safeway, EZ Orchards, Grocery Outlet, Bruce Pac, Winco and others.

Glancing at the storage shelves – some that are empty, Bledsoe is thankful the annual food drive is approaching. Soup, chili, dinner mixes, canned fruit, diapers, personal care items, sugar and flour are suggested donations, he said.

“We serve 850 to 1,000 people a month or 225 to 250 families a month,” he said.

It’s because of the community’s support that SACA can provide food for families in need, he said.