Hunger rates increasing in Klickitat Co.
County levels almost double that of state; food demand increases as holidays near
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
Hunger and food insecurity rates in Klickitat County are nearly double the state average, Washington researchers have unveiled.
In the state’s first ever study to analyze hunger rates by county, authorities determined Klickitat to be at 17 percent, according to findings published last month by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The statewide average is 10 percent.
Linda Stone, food policy expert for advocacy organization, the Children’s Alliance, said it is common for rural communities to be more susceptible to hunger, calling the Klickitat County numbers “significant.”
“You guys are almost double,” said Stone. “A lot of the higher rates are in rural communities.
“Oftentimes, that means that the job rates are lower. In a lot [of rural counties], the major industries are what I call resource-based — fishing, timber, agriculture. The fishing and timber industries have faced pretty major declines.”
Moreover, it appears the recent economic crisis has only compounded the situation.
At the Goldendale Community Food Bank, for example, organizers said they saw a 25 percent increase between October and November, just in regular food boxes. With holiday boxes factored in, the number jumps to 54 percent.
Manager Alecia Atwood said she has never seen anything like it.
“This is the highest that we have in recorded history for the food bank,” said Atwood. “I would guess it has to do with many people coming into the area when there are no jobs available, layoffs…and then more people are learning about the food bank.”
Stone said it is likely that social issues also played a role in the food insecurity reports. Many people who are eligible for food assistance, she said, do not ask for it, often because they feel embarrassed.
“There’s still sort of a stigma related to using food stamps,” said Stone. “If you live in a small town and you know everybody who works at the grocery store, that’s a disincentive.”
Stone said she has heard of people driving 50 miles or more to supermarkets in different towns to avoid being seen using food stamps.
Beyond that, she added, some people simply don’t know about what programs are available.
In Klickitat County, about 59 percent of those eligible for food assistance used the programs in October, Stone said, based on an unofficial participation access index. That is compared to an official statewide participation rate of 64 percent.
At the moment, a number of charities and government agencies are working to alleviate the situation.
Goldendale’s Christ the King Lutheran Church in Goldendale, for example, is in the process of trying to add a monthly meal service to their seasonal soup dinner. The Greek Orthodox Church has also looked into starting a meal service program.
Places like schools, fire departments, scout troops, grocery stores, banks, and businesses are offering canned food drives for the holidays.
Moreover, agencies like the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and Head Start, an early-learning program, offer assistance to low-income families.
Kayla Schilling, a 21-year-old single mom, gets help with groceries and her children eat at Head Start.
“It’s really tough around the holidays, raising three kids on my own,” said Schilling. “I can’t imagine if I didn’t have food stamps how I would make it…it’s hard enough to make it even with them.”
In the study released last month, the USDA determined “food insecurity” by asking six questions in a phone survey. Klickitat was one of eight counties to rank below the state average, along with Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Franklin, Okanagan, Pacific, and Yakima.
The figures were taken in 2007, before the statewide economic downturns reached a peak.
Stone said what many people don’t understand is that food is often an expendable item in a family budget, compared to fixed costs like heating, gas, and medical bills.
Deborah Heart, who helps with the meal program out of the Lutheran church, said she has seen evidence of that too.
“People have to make a choice - do I eat or do I buy fuel to get to my job?” said Heart.
“Food often ends up being the thing you don’t get to,” added Stone.
Farmland preservation placed on commission agenda
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
The Klickitat Land and Natural Resources Advisory Committee heard an update on the farmland preservation issue during it’s meeting, last Monday evening.
Department of Planning director, Curt Dreyer, discussed the issues that surround the controversial cluster zone proposal and stated that he believes some alternative to the 20 acre minimum is needed.
However, Dreyer stated that he didn’t believe more regulation helps farmers. “If you want farmland preservation you need to make farming profitable,” said Dreyer.
The committee also discussed the intended introduction of pronghorn antelope onto the Yakama reservation.
At issue is concern from area livestock growers about diseases and competition for scarce forage. In a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Gene Jenkins, president of the Yakima County Farm Bureau outlined nine points of concern that the Farm Bureau requests be implemented. Among the points are an Environmental Impact Statement, and testing all animals for Tuberculosis and Brucellosis.
The request also asks that the Yakama Nation provide a “damage fund” to be held by a third party to compensate landowners for crop, range and private property damage caused by the introduced antelope.
No action was taken by the committee, as their understanding is that the Washington State Veterinarian will act to protect the area against importation of animals that have communicable diseases.
The committee’s next meeting will be held on Mar.2.
Biggs Bridge set for Jan. reopen
Mid-January is as close as State DOT engineer, Chris Tams can predict the opening of the Biggs Rapids, Sam Hill Bridge. Construction has been in progress since Jan. 2, with a break from May 19 to Sept. 8, to accommodate summertime tourism.
A fatal accident and some anticipated breaks extended the completion date into January.
“Construction is on schedule with the contract,” said Tams. The contract called for 230 days of work as well as 40 days of partial opening work. A few other days of work stoppage have also been granted, according to Tams.
There have also been some wind-related breaks in work being done on bridge railings.
The accident occurred on Jan. 15, and took the life of Michael Dennison, of Stanfield, Ore., who was operating an excavator when it fell from the bridge, into the Columbia River.
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