Community Encouraged To Attend Local Hunger Discussion

The bottom line is that local food banks need the community’s help if we are to answer the sharp increase in need.

Courtesy: andrill.org

(KEIZER, Ore.) - Local hunger is at all-time record levels. Join Keizer Community Food Bank and Marion-Polk Food Share in a very important discussion on how hunger is effecting families in the Keizer community.

This special community meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 29th, 2009, at Keizer Community Center, 930 Chemawa Rd NE.

Currently, area unemployment is over 12%. An estimated 1 of 5 families had to seek emergency food box assistance last year. And, over half the children in our public schools qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program because their family income is near or below poverty level.

Marion-Polk Food Share (MPFS), the regional food bank serving Marion and Polk counties is seeing record numbers of people needing assistance. Ron Hays, MPFS President, says, “I am convinced that if we are going to end hunger, it must happen at the community level. I encourage Keizer residents to come join in this discussion and help find solutions.”

Keizer Community Food Bank, a member charity of the Marion-Polk Food Share emergency food distribution network, is serving a record number of hungry families, too.

Last year, throughout the MPFS Network of 81 local member charities, over 77,400 emergency food boxes were provided to hungry area families and more than 654,000 on-site meals were served to individuals and children at program sites serving low-income clients.

The bottom line is that local food banks need the community’s help if we are to answer the sharp increase in need. Please join the food bank and Keizer Community Leaders in this conversation about finding solutions to hunger in your neighborhood and your community.

For more information, please contact Nancy Pfeiler at 503-581-3855 ext 309.