Second Harvest Reports Staggering Hunger Figures in Orange County

Demand for sustenance from Orange County's food pantries and other sources is up 70 percent since the recession began in 2008, according to figures released Thursday by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

"With Orange County being smaller, that doesn't mean our problems aren't just as big," Second Harvest Director Joe Schoeningh said. "Are we meeting the entire demand in Orange County? We're not even close."

Second Harvest distributes about 1.4 million pounds of food each month to families struggling with hunger, Schoeningh said. That amount is enough to meet only half of the rapidly increasing demand. Making matters worse, he said, food supplies and donations tend to decrease during the summer months.

In addition to higher overall hunger figures in Orange County, Schoeningh said, the county's food pantries are also seeing an increase in need from a new demographic: white-collar workers and their families. With the collapse of the mortgage industry, a spike in unemployment among middle-class workers has forced more people to seek help.

Another potential hurdle for Second Harvest and other food banks is the looming budget crises at the state and federal levels, which threaten funding for both food pantries and such programs as CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps.

However, regardless of funding issues, Schoeningh said, Orange County residents aren't taking full advantage of CalFresh, with only 28 percent of eligible families participating.