Nearly half a million Oregonians were considered food insecure in the latest federal survey. Members of the Oregon Hunger Task Force were in Eugene today for a listening session.
The Oregon Hunger Task Force was established by the legislature in 1989.
Director Patti Whitney-Wise is with Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon. She says the state has made great strides but that the recession was a huge setback.
"This recession has been particularly hard here in Oregon where we've lost a lot of middle-wage jobs that are not coming back. In the most recent economic forecast for Oregon, it was alarming to see that the jobs coming back to Oregon are either low wage or very high wage and very little in the middle."
The Oregon Hunger Task Force heard from Lane County agencies who feed the hungry and from food producers. One speaker said hunger indicates a broken link in the food system. And if more food is produced locally, that can make the system work better.