Federal summer food programs in Oregon are feeling the crunch this season as they witness one of the largest turnouts for low-income lunch programs that they’ve ever seen, reports David Sarasohn of The Oregonian. Food insecurity rose more than 4% from 2007 to 2008, according to a five-city sample by Children’s Health Watch. Portland Parks and Recreation has provided hundreds more meals than last year, and one of the largest summer food providers, Food for Lane County, saw a 57.7 percent increase from last June.
“With its high rates of hunger and child poverty, Oregon has had a persistent problem with getting its kids fed,” writes Sarasohn. “But these days, with the economy taking big bites out of family food budgets, the situation is getting worse.”
The article couldn’t have come at a better time. All of the child nutrition programs are coming up for their five-year reauthorizations. With a President who has literally pledged to end childhood hunger in America by 2015, maybe this is a chance for Congress “rewrite the recipes.”
