Portland, Oregon—Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski was on hand at the Oregon Food Bank Thursday to welcome the first 40,000-pound shipment of food from Nor-PAC in the Food Bank’s new “Farmers Ending Hunger” program.

 

“We all know that hunger isn’t purely an urban problem, and neither is it purely a rural problem,” the Governor said.  “Hunger occurs in every corner of the state.  We can solve it only if work together, and that’s what Farmers Ending Hunger is all about—working together.”

 

Under the Farmers Ending Hunger program, every participating farmer donates the produce from an acre of his or her land, after which the Oregon Food Band distributes the food to needy families throughout Oregon.  Among those attending the event were Portland Mayor Tom Potter, Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba, anti-hunger advocates, and three participating farmers—Bob Hale, Darren Ditchen and Chet Prior.

 

In his remarks, the Governor said that after visiting every corner of the state, he can attest to the fact that Oregonians are decent, caring people.  “I can tell you that the desire to make Oregon a better place runs deep,” the Governor said.  “That’s what we’re seeing here today—a spirit of cooperation to reduce hunger and give more Oregonians an opportunity to achieve a better life.”

 

Thursday’s event took place at the Oregon Food Bank’s main warehouse, where 170,000 pounds of produce and five large trucks served as the backdrop.  Prior to the event, the Oregon Food Bank hosted an awards breakfast.

 

“We will not rest until all Oregonians enjoy food security, which is the most basic element of achieving a better life,” the Governor told the crowd.  “That’s our cause—to work together to bring hope and food security to all Oregonians, no matter whether they live in the populous inner city, out on the wide-open plains, in mountain valleys, or on the Oregon shore.”

 

When Governor Kulongoski took office three years ago, the hunger rate in Oregon was the highest in the nation. Under his leadership, Oregon has shed that distinction, and has climbed to the middle of the pack among the hunger rate for states. 

 

Last spring, the Governor convened a roundtable with the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force and families who suffer from the high cost of health care.  At that roundtable, he presented his Healthy Kids Plan and heard from doctors and families about the difficulty of ensuring adequate nutrition to people on fixed incomes.

 

“To fight hunger for the long-term, we’ve must address the root causes,” the Governor said.  “We’re talking about the need for good, family-wage jobs.  We’re talking about the skyrocketing cost of medicine.  We’re talking about health care for kids, decent housing, and fighting predatory lenders.”

 

The Governor has also spearheaded efforts by state employees to collect donations to alleviate hunger in communities throughout the state. He has fought to reduce the extraordinarily high rates many payday loan companies charge, and has promoted low-cost alternatives to high-interest payday loans to help low-income Oregonians—the same people who are most likely to suffer from hunger.

 

The Governor had special praise for the Oregon Food Bank. 

 

“Because of the work they do year-in and year-out—because of everything they give so selflessly—we all receive the benefits of a decent and compassionate society,” the Governor said.  “We all enjoy the benefits of children who can learn, because they don’t go to school hungry and malnourished.  We all reap the productivity of workers who have adequate nutrition.  And we all share the smiles of people who no longer live in the painful shadow of hunger.”

Media Contacts:

Lonn Hoklin: 503.378.6169

Charlie Burr: 503.378.6496