Trucking food supplies to rural areas is getting more and more expensive with rising fuel costs one reason cited by Second Harvest in Spokane for cutting food distribution to Okanogan last November. One in three Okanogan residents used one of the nine food pantries in the county last year. Lack of living-wage jobs, inflation, and systems that hold people in poverty all contribute to an increasing number in need of food assistance. Several things contribute to the need for food and the food shortages occurring in our community: Poverty. Shelf stable items like crackers, pasta and canned goods are always a welcome site at the food pantries. Food shortages means more food donations are needed. While more people rely on food assistance, less food is available. The number of county residents relying on food assistance grew from 8,000 in 2020 to 11,000 in 2022. But food scarcity is real in Okanogan County. It’s hard to imagine food shortages in a community like ours which is surrounded by agriculture. By Rena Shawver, Executive Director, Okanogan County Community Action Council (OCCAC)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |