Salem-News.com Hunger articles Page 21

Group Says Jobs in Oregon Will Remain Scarce Well Into Next Decade

Employment data show "need for a stable public sector," OCPP says.

(SILVERTON, Ore.) - An analysis of today's employment numbers shows that there are fewer jobs for working-age Oregonians than in the worst year of the previous recession, which was 2003.

Oregon-Based Group Mobilizes in Pakistan Amid Taliban Fighting (AUDIO)

Reports from the war zone are compelling many Oregonians to help.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - As a half million people half the world away in Pakistan flee their homes because of armed fighting, an Oregon-based aid group is on the ground to help those families in need. Mercy Corps is handing out emergency kits this week, and Portland-based personnel are arriving in Pakistan to assess the continued emergency response.

Spokesperson Caitlin Carlson says those who had to flee had little notice.

Oregon Governor Hits the Road for Hunger Awareness Week (AUDIO)

The number of people requesting emergency food boxes is up about 30 percent in his area.

(ONTARIO, Ore.) - It's Hunger Awareness Week in Oregon through May 3, and food bank locations are scrambling to meet record demand in many areas of the state.

To help drum up donations, on Thursday and Friday Gov. Ted Kulongoski will hop aboard an Oregon Food Bank truck to run a multi-city delivery route to eastern Oregon.

Farmers Ending Hunger on Track to Donate Two Million Pounds of Food; More Help Critically Needed

Farmers Ending Hunger is an organization dedicated to generating more high quality food for the Oregon Food Bank Network through a partnership of farmers, food processors and the public.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Farmers Ending Hunger, an organization of growers, ranchers and committed people dedicated to ending hunger in Oregon, announces it is on track to donate two million pounds of food to the Oregon Food Bank in 2009 thanks to commitments from the wheat and livestock sectors.

Two million pounds of food is equivalent to 40,000 emergency food boxes weighing approximately 50 lbs. each. Each box is enough to feed a family of 4 for 3-5 days.

Food Stamp and Cash Assistance Demand Continues at Record Levels

A total of 535,000 people – or 277,000 households – received the benefit in Oregon last month.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The increase in the number of people receiving food stamps in Oregon during the past year is greater than the population of Medford; workers continue to scramble to help struggling Oregonians.

January 2009 brought the biggest increase of the recession in the demand for temporary cash assistance and food stamps in Oregon - - and the need continues at record levels.

Millions Raised by Gaza Appeal

BBC director general Mark Thompson said the decision not to broadcast the appeal was "absolutely" in line with the corporation's broader approach to impartiality and appeals.

(GAZA) - An emergency relief appeal for the crisis in Gaza has raised £3 million despite anger over broadcasters' refusal to show it.

The refusal led to protests outside the BBC's Broadcasting House, where demonstrators burned their television licences and occupied the building's reception until they were removed by police.

"The money raised is enabling aid agencies on the ground to reach people in dire need of humanitarian assistance" - Brendan Gormley.

Guest Opinion: A Department of All Kinds of Agriculture

This year, legislators in Salem are considering a bill that would bring more Oregon grown, processed and manufactured products into the public school lunchroom.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - As the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack will have many proverbial rows to hoe. At his recent senate confirmation hearing, he got a small taste of just how many.

Just after Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) voiced his support for organic agriculture, Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) offered a different perspective on how USDA should prioritize resources.

Gaza`s Civilian Population Devastated by Israeli Military Attack

Thousands of Gazans remain homeless as UN again calls for aid access, and a man we used to know as Cat Stevens releases a song for Gaza.

(GAZA) - Thousands of Gazans remain homeless and hospitals still have a large number of intensive care patients over a week after a ceasefire ended Israel’s devastating three-week offensive against Hamas militants, according to the latest United Nations update.

The agency is calling for immediate unhindered humanitarian access to the Strip’s 1.5 million inhabitants.

“At this stage, the initial response is focusing on the re-establishment of basic services to the population of Gaza, including water, health, food, cash assistance, education and psychosocial support,” the UN Office the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

Federal Government Issues New Poverty Line for 2009

More Oregonians Now Qualify for State Services.

(SILVERTON, Ore.) - The federal government today raised the poverty line, which Oregon uses to determine eligibility for some public assistance programs.

As a result, more Oregonians now qualify for Employment Related Day Care, the state's child care subsidy program, and the Oregon Health Plan, the state's Medicaid program, at a time when the state faces a revenue shortfall.

"Today there are more vulnerable Oregonians who will see their access to certain public assistance programs affected by the legislature's budget decisions than there were yesterday," said Michael Leachman, policy analyst with the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Zimbabwe`s Despair Continues

Cholera kills almost 2000-Concern Worldwide issues urgent appeal.

(NEW YORK) - The death toll in Zimbabwe from cholera has almost topped 2000, out of total of more than 37,000 confirmed cases, worsening the plight of nation hammered by hyper inflation, food shortages, and an HIV and AIDS epidemic that affects 15 percent of the population.

Already active in the country distributing food, building up livelihood opportunities and caring for people living with HIV and AIDS, Concern Worldwide, the international humanitarian organization, has begun an aggressive program of cholera prevention targeting more than 200,000 people in the districts of Chegutu, Nyanga, and North and South Gokwe.