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What did your table look like this Thanksgiving?
For many in our community, the table was sparse — or empty. And for some, that’s not just a holiday reality but an everyday one.
The face of hunger may not look the way you expect.
It’s families where parents juggle multiple jobs.
It’s a man who doesn’t know where he will sleep at night.
It’s a student at the University of Oregon.
Hunger isn’t just a city problem; it’s present in every corner of Lane County.
It’s a problem without easy answers, and yet many people in our community are devoting themselves to finding them.
We partnered with author, journalist and former University of Oregon professor Lauren Kessler to examine the hunger problem in Lane County and shine a light on those helping feed those in need.
Over the course of several months, Lauren traveled to all parts of Lane County to talk with people standing in line at the Dining Room in Eugene, picking up groceries at food pantries in Mapleton, Oakridge and Springfield, delivering meals along the McKenzie River alongside volunteers and workers determined to feed as many people as possible, and farmers who grow crops to support this mission.
The series starts as all explorations do: with questions. Over the course of this three-part series, we explore the following questions:
- Part 1: Who is hungry, and why? (Publishing Nov. 30)
- Part 2: How is our community responding? (Publishing Dec. 6)
- Part 3: How does the system work? How do organizations feeding the hungry make it happen? (Publishing Dec. 13)
Unlike most of the stories you read on Lookout Eugene-Springfield, we do not identify every individual we talked with. Some are referred to only by a first name, which we have changed to protect their dignity.
Everyone in this series is a real person. Lauren spent time with each of them — hours, in many instances.
For many, there is shame in being hungry. Some don’t want their friends or neighbors to know they are in need. Others are in vulnerable situations and sharing their name and location could put them in danger.
But their stories are real. Their need is real.
We hope this series helps you better understand what many in our community go through every day to put food in their stomachs.
The need is urgent; the issue is essential to understand. To ensure we reach as many people as possible, this series will be free for everyone. If you are a Lookout Eugene-Springfield member, thank you for supporting this and all our work.
If you are not a member, please consider joining to ensure issues like hunger remain in the public eye until everyone is able to eat, every day.
In this season of giving, we hope you are motivated to find a way to help those who need help. We hope you are motivated to support the people and organizations who work daily to help feed our community.
No one in this community should be hungry.
Read the entire series:
