Kiwanis Club of
Corvallis
We Build...A Better
Corvallis
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|
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Feed the
Hungry Local Kids |
Bob Van Patten,
Chairperson
541-754-9616
banpatten@comcast.net
Not sure we have a hunger problem? Check this out...
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Oregon recently held the dubious distinction of having the
highest prevalence of hunger in the
United States. As of fall 2003, we managed to improve to
"only" eighth-highest but we still have a long, long way to go to
get to where we want to be.
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Poverty
rate comparison:
U.S. 12.1%
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Oregon 11.3%
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Benton County
14.6%
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Linn County
11.4%
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Demand for emergency food
services has risen 42 percent since 1997.
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One in five individuals in Linn
and Benton Counties will obtain emergency food assistance each year from
Linn-Benton Food Share.
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Linn-Benton
Food Share distributed over 4 million pounds of food last year to 35,000
hungry individuals in the two-county area.
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44 percent of the recipients
are kids, 17 years of age or younger.
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Because of the economic
downturn, the need for food has increased while contributions by
corporations and the USDA have decreased.
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Linn-Benton
Food Share can feed a child for only 79 cents per day.
Why don't we see hungry people in our community?
According to the latest hunger study by the Oregon State University Extension
Service, Oregon has a significant population of families who are
employed but earn such meager wages they require emergency food services to
survive.
Yes, it's happening here and that's why the Kiwanis Club of Corvallis has established the
Feed the Hungry Local Kids Committee.
Links
to Hunger Websites
All proceeds are donated to Linn-Benton Food Share.
So how are we doing in our Feed the Hungry Local
Kids campaign?
From October 2003 through August 2004, Kiwanis has
raised 46,000
pounds. Thanks to everyone who's stepped up to the
plate to help!
We are working with representatives
from Linn-Benton Food Share and the Latino outreach worker for the Center
Against Rape and Domestic Violence to start up a Spanish-speaking gleaners
group.
We are also now talking with representatives from
the Oregon Department of Corrections industries program, Linn-Benton Food Share
and Corvallis School District 509-J about teaming up to manufacture kids' backpacks
or carrying bags out of scrap denim material and filling with donated food items such as peanut
butter and crackers. The packs would then be distributed by school
district personnel to needy kids so they can eat over weekends
when no subsidized meals are available.
If you'd like to help in this noble effort, contact the Feed the
Hungry Local Kids Committee chairperson.
Footnote: Each $1.00 donated equals about 15
pounds of food.
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