Food bank has plan to end hunger in Lane County.

Byline: Pat Farr For The Register-Guard

I continue to be impressed by the generosity of the people of Lane County. Whether helping people across the globe or helping their neighbors, they answer the call.

Just months ago, a devastating tsunami caused widespread destruction in Southeast Asia. Lane County responded. At the same time, people responded to needs in our local community, including bringing food and contributions to FOOD for Lane County to help our neighbors in need.

As I reflect on my first year as FOOD for Lane County's executive director and the work we have done together, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Every day, five days a week, we distribute more than 35,000 pounds of food - nearly a tractor-trailer load - to feed hungry people in our community. At our current rate, we will provide 1 million more pounds of food than last year.

Thankfully, food donations have held steady; unfortunately, the need has continued to grow. People's continued help and support is crucial to our mission to eliminate hunger in Lane County.

I talk to folks each day who cannot comprehend how people in Oregon - a state of certain abundance - can be hungry. Fact is, food is the most flexible item among a family's monthly expenses. Housing costs increase regularly, utility fees remain high, transportation costs are skyrocketing, and many low-income families and individuals have no health coverage. Child care costs have increased by 66 percent in the last 10 years, while Oregonians' average annual earnings increased by only 43 percent during the same period.

Despite our state's abundance of nutritious and healthy food, more than 80,000 Lane County residents will need our services this year. Oregon continues to rank among the top 10 states for its high percentage of hungry people. Some of our neighbors worry about where their next meal may come from. Thousands of families in Lane County worry about how to feed their children.

Nearly one in three Lane County children ate from an emergency food box last year. Hunger and poor nutrition have long-term, harmful effects on a child's physical, social and psychological development. Study after study shows that without proper nutrition, a child's ability to concentrate, learn and achieve is severely diminished.

As a member of the Oregon House Education Committee during the last legislative session, I heard frequently from educators who cited poor nutrition as a major cause of kids' lack of success in the classroom. Many school districts in Oregon do not provide a school lunch program. How can we expect kids to learn and to be responsive in class when they are hungry?

FOOD for Lane County is constantly working on creative solutions to eliminate hunger and to develop and promote self-sufficiency. Our recently adopted five-year strategic plan gives us guidance for the future. It outlines not only programs that meet emergency needs, but also programs that teach self-sufficiency. It calls for partnerships with groups such as the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force and the Oregon Food Bank, which focus on addressing the root causes of hunger.

In partnership with local corporations, individuals and countless volunteers, we have a vision of a community where everyone has enough healthy and nutritious food to eat. We are good stewards of people's generosity. With administrative and fund-raising overhead at only 5 percent, we are able to distribute six pounds of food for every dollar that is donated.

The generosity of the people of Lane County has had a significant impact on hunger. We can make a difference, but we must do it together. The efforts of volunteers, as well as people's food donations and monetary contributions, have created a foundation of support for our neighbors who need help to make ends meet.

I deeply appreciate this continued partnership in pursuit of the goal of eliminating hunger.

Pat Farr ([e-mail]) is executive director of FOOD for Lane County.