As COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, continues to spread, so does its impact on the health of our communities. Barriers to food access have increased significantly as a result of the virus, as this public health crisis continues to leave millions of children, families and elderly adults at risk.
Last season on HealthChangers, we highlighted The Oregon Foodbank with our podcast Healthy Food, Healthy Communities. Forty-five million people in the United States live with food insecurity. That is one in every eight households, an especially sobering statistic during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 860,000 people rely on the Oregon Food Bank Network each year, and tens of thousands of additional families are expected to turn to their local food pantries, many for the first time, as a result of COVID-19.
We want to take a look back at this conversation with Susannah Morgan, CEO of the Oregon Food Bank on how the food bank is addressing our communities’ need for nutritious food today, while also creating a long-term solution to hunger.