More people across the region and locally are utilizing food banks and that means those facilities need as much help as they can get from area residents.

The average number of people who accessed fresh food services jumped by 28% in April and May and there was a 23% increase in fresh food box demand across Baker, Grant, Union and Wallowa counties.

While statistics tell only part of the story, the tale they do reveal is troubling. The apparent causes of the rise in services are inflation and the sudden evaporation of federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Finding the cause, though, is only the first step. The next move is to discover how to alleviate the need. Regional food banks receive regular shipments from the Oregon Food Bank. The state food bank deliveries are supplemented by fresh produce donations from local stores and farmers.

Citizens and residents who can, though, need to do more to help. That means finding ways to donate more food on a regular basis to area food banks.

We’ve lamented food insecurity on a regular basis on this page and that’s because in a nation as rich as ours we believe no one should go hungry. We also believe that local problems are best solved at the local level. We have a great capacity locally to fix even the most complex problems, to overcome even the most difficult problems.

Our region is rich in people who care about one another and we should be able to address the rise in the need for food in a proactive way.

That means all of us can do our part. A simple donation, if possible, to a local food bank can make all the difference in the world to a family or individual who is suddenly food insecure.

Volunteering to assist a local food bank or some other charity that is trying to help those who are less fortunate is another good way to help make a difference.

Making a difference is easy if we want.

We can all work together to help our local and regional food banks and to lend a helping hand.