Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Food Bank distributed more food across the state than ever before in the last year. As Rob Manning reports, that food is now reaching people who never imagined they’d need help from a charity.

The recession has pressed the Oregon Food Bank network to set two troubling records: it delivered 66 million pounds of food in nearly 900-thousand food boxes.

Executive director, Rachel Bristol, says the organization saw rising demand in urban, rural, and suburban parts of Oregon. Bristol says rural areas experienced big increases in demand– on top of huge increases a year ago.

Rachel Bristol: “Where last year, we were seeing 30 or even 40 percent increases last year, this year they went up anywhere from 10 to 20 percent. What we did see was the big surge in the Portland Metro area.”

People in suburban Washington County  consumed 28 percent more emergency food last year,  with demand soaring nearly 50 percent over the last two years.

It’s a trend that Jennifer Yocum has seen up close. She’s the pastor at the First United Church of Christ in Forest Grove, where locals have come  - more and more – looking for help.

Jennifer Yocum: “Particularly those who are employed, or have been employed long-term, to have to come to strangers at our church and ask for assistance is something that – you should see the shock on their faces to be in this situation that they never thought they’d be in.”

Yocum says she used to have plenty of gas vouchers and bus tickets for people who’ve come. But nowadays, she’ll run out mid-month. She says she’s saddened, but not surprised, at how many people in Washington County are asking for food boxes.

And while the demand for emergency foods is up, Food Bank donations from big national companies were down.

Oregon Food Bank director, Rachel Bristol, says big trucks like this one delivering federal food aid have helped bridge the gap. But Bristol doesn’t know how much federal assistance she can count on, next year. And she’s afraid the hunger problem isn’t going away.

Rachel Bristol: “I think we may see some leveling off, but a new, very high level.”

Bristol says local donations – and volunteers--  have also helped the Food Bank get more food to more people.