September 6, 2011
On August 2, the U.S. Congress passed the Budget Control Act—legislation that raised the federal debt ceiling (the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow) and cut federal spending. The legislation was passed just in time to avert a threatened government shutdown.
The Budget Control Act includes an immediate cut of almost $1 trillion in government spending. Half of those cuts will come from domestic discretionary programs, potentially including programs important to anti-hunger advocates: The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which provides food banks with foods purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with funds to store and distribute food; as well as the Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Woman, Infants and Children (WIC), which serves about 9 million nationwide.
August 25, 2011
The Oregon Legislature has adjourned for the summer after passing the state’s 2011-13 budget.
How will the decisions made during this year’s legislative session affect Oregonians?
The bottom line is that many cuts were made in an effort to balance the state’s $3.5 billion budget shortfall, the worst in many generations. The cuts include reductions to programs that benefit the low-income individuals and families that the Oregon Food Bank Network serves.
August 24, 2011
Oregon Food Bank distributes food to 20 regional food banks, which, in turn, distribute food to 947 local agencies and programs, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters and more. Regional food banks wanted to share, in their own words, how GFFP helps them meet the growing need in communities across the state.
August 23, 2011
Record numbers of our neighbors turn to the Oregon Food Bank Network for emergency food assistance. We anticipate that our service area will feel the effects of the Great Recession for the next few years.
The Oregon Food Bank Network counts on funding from the General Fund Food Program (GFFP) to help meet the record need, but funds were cut from the program last year. In addition, these cuts have been carried over to the Governor’s Recommended Budget for the next two years.
August 23, 2011
Oregon Food Bank is part of the Oregon TANF Alliance. TANF helps Oregon children and families through difficult times. Hunger, and the lack of housing and other basic necessities like heat and warm clothing keep children from attaining their full potential. Learn more and take action on the Oregon TANF Alliance webpage: http://www.cffo.org/tanf.
March 22, 2011
In the current economic climate more families than ever are struggling to provide for their most basic needs of shelter, food, and warmth. By the time many people seek out emergency food through our partner agencies they have exhausted all other resources available to them and are frequently down to little or no food in their cupboards.
March 4, 2011
In 2009, Multnomah County launched the Multnomah Food Initiative, a unique partnership with community organizations, businesses, and local governments to promote a more sustainable, equitable and healthy local food system through the development of a Multnomah Food Action Plan.
February 17, 2011
My name is Rose and I am a Community Food Champion with Oregon Food Bank.
I became involved with this volunteer project last summer when the U.S. House of Representatives was in the process of voting on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. The team at OFB asked me to write an Op-Ed letter to the Statesman Journal to encourage people in the Salem-Keizer area to contact their local representatives and advocate for the bill to be passed quickly to support feeding programs for children when school is not in session.
May 10, 2010
Jessica, age 21, has been an active participant in advocacy activities for a number of years. She's been to Salem to speak with legislators about hunger in her community as part of the Oregon Food Bank Network's advocacy efforts.
May 10, 2010
Before Amber got a gardening plot at SnowCap, a local OFB Network hunger-relief agency, she struggled to feed her growing boys the nutritious food they need.
