November 26, 2 0 0 8
Page A3
Economy Jolts Food Programs
con tin u ed
fro m Front
Our fear is that donations will drop off to the point where we'll
have to have a waiting list.
nerable because many are on a
fixed incom e and rely on stocks
- Loaves and Fishes spokesperson Julie Piper Finley.
for their retirem ent, w hich have
taken a serious hit in recent
m onths, she added.
"O ur fear is that donations will
drop o ff to the point where we'll
have to have a waiting list," said
Finley.
Loaves and Fishes, unlike simi­
lar organizations in other cities,
has never had to use a waiting list
to cut costs. She added that the
group is closely m onitoring its
financial situation and is hoping
it w on’t com e to that.
The O regon Food Bank is in a
sim ilar fix. T he organization dis­
tributes food to over 850,000
people a year through 20 affiliate
food banks, and is seeing hungry
people seeking help in droves.
Oregon Food Bank spokesper­
son Jean K em pe-W are said that
many o f its affiliates are seeing
dem and like never before. An or­
ganizational report finds a 13 per­
cent increase in dem and for food
services locally, and 12 percent
statewide.
N ine out o f the group’s 20 re­
gional food banks have had record
num bers o f people seeking assis­
tance, she said.
K em pe-W are explained that
people are losing jobs and simply
photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
d o n ’t have enough m oney to Food donations are stocked onto shelves at the Oregon Food Bank in northeast Portland. Food Bank executive Jean Kempe-
support them selves. She added Ware said the organization is seeing demand like never before.
Macy’s Holiday
Parade Friday
M acy 's annual H oliday Pa­
rade will be held on Friday, Nov.
28 with a cast fun-filled march
through the streets o f dow n­
tow n Portland.
T he parade will start at 8:45
a.m. at Lincoln High School, trav­
els north on Southw est 14th
Avenue and then east on A lder
Street, w inding past the D ow n­
tow n M acy's, then hanging a
Ask ö
right on Southw est Second to
T aylor Street and ending back
near Lincoln High School.
K G W Channel 8 will broad­
cast the parade starting at 9 a.m.
Shortly after the parade con­
clu d es, S an ta w ill arriv e at
M acy’s. Photos with Santa are
available daily through Dec. 24
at Santaland, on the low er level
o f the store.
certain level so he w ould shine.
The years have gone by and h e’s
burned out but my opportunities
are still available. Is it a problem
if I go for it? -A n o n y m o u s;
Shreveport, LA
that many food pantries are see­
ing new faces from fam ilies who
thought th ey 'd never fall on hard
times.
"They're seeing construction
workers com ing in for the first
tim e. T h ey 're seeing rea lto rs
who've gone m onths w ithout a
com m ission. They're seeing now
a w hole num ber o f groups of
people who never im agined in
their w ildest dream s that they
would need em ergency food,"
said Kempe-W are.
O f p articular concern, said
Kempe-W are, is getting food to
children.
She explained that when chil­
dren are undernourished it af­
fects their developm ent and fu­
ture productivity. Figures show
that over half o f the recipients to
the Oregon Food Bank have chil­
dren.
K em pe-W are counts on the
holidays for donations. However,
she w onders if people will be as
generous as they were in previ­
ous years due to the state o f the
eco n o m y , an d w o n ’t h av e a
handle on the organization’s fis­
cal state until after the New Year.
She added she h asn ’t seen
d o n atio n s go dow n w ith the
econom y so far, and notes that
people have usually seen the
value o f the service provided by
OFB and continue to donate even
in tough times.
Zoo Admission Free on Thanksgiving Day
In appreciation for the public's support o f a
$ 125 million bond measure to improve outdated
exhibits and make the O regon Zoo more sus­
tainable, the zoo is holding an open house on
Thanksgiving Day, with free adm ission.
From polar bears in the frigid Arctic to el­
ephants in the forests o f Asia, Thanksgiving
Day visitors can visit anim als from around the
world.
"W e're thrilled about the zoo's future and
w hat the bond measure w.i 11 allow us to accom ­
plish," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "We
hope the public will visit us on Thanksgiving
Day so we can show how much we appreciate
their support.”
The bond will provide more humane care for
animals by updating the elephant, primate and
polar bear enclosures; protect animal health and
safety by m odernizing the zoo's substandard 45-
year-old animal clinic; increase access to con­
servation education by providing more space
for sum m er camps, classes and hands-on learn­
ing for kids, adults and families; and improve
water quality and reduce pollution.
M o re in fo rm a tio n is a v a ila b le at
oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561. •
Samudra is the Oregon Zoo's
newborn elephant.
“ The desperation
came from not being able
to stop gambling.”
Dear Anonymous:
Real People. Real Advice
\u advice calunni known fa r
its fearless appraaeh la
reality based subjects.'
Dear Deanna!
I spend a lot o f tim e being friends
with w om en, listening to their
problem s and ju st being a great
guy. I’m in a situation with a
friend that I now want a relation­
ship with but she isn’t interested.
O nce I m ade my feelings known
she has basically kicked me to the
curb. le a n ’, understand why she
took my m oney, used my car and
cam e to me with all o f her prob­
lems but w on’t date me. W hat did
I do w rong? —A .J.; San D iego,
CA
Dear AJ.
You got played w hich is what
insecure w om en, a few w ives and
silly girls do to the good men out
there. You fell victim to a w oman
that w anted a guidance counse­
lor and financial providerw ithout
any loving. These women are fine
as long as they get w hat they
want w ithout giving up anything.
C onsider yourself blessed to be
ou, before your credit was ruined
and you were left looking foolish
with a broken heart.
Dear Deanna!
At what point do you give up on
a spouse that c a n ', ge, up and
make things happen. I’ve sacri­
ficed so m any o f my dream s and
goals to support my husband.
I’ve had jo b offers in other states,
business opportunities and more.
I felt sorry for being a high
achiever so I alw ays stayed at a
If the shoe w ere on the other foot,
he w ould leave you in the dust
and hope to m eet you at the finish
line. Y ou’re a,earn and all rewards
should be shared so it do esn ’t
m atter who has the title o f super-
star. lfy o u r husband h asn 'tco m -
plained, this is a reflection o f your
feelings that are way o ff base.
U nless you want to be dusty look­
ing in a m irror o f failure, you have
the answ er and should take the
leap forward with no turning back.
"I made the call to get some help.
I found people that really understood me...”
I
Dear Deanna!
1 recently gave birth to a baby girl.
My boyfriend was hoping for a
boy and he seem ed disappointed.
Things were fine until the baby
was three m onths old. My boy­
friend stopped com ing around
and w hen he did, he alw ays
seem ed distant. I later learned
that he has a new son that is a
m onth older than my daughter.
He cheated on me, go, someone
pregnant and we had our kids at
the sam e time. I am devastated
and d o n ’t know what to do about
this relationship? -D ev astated
New M om; Q ueens, NY
‘T was mesmerized."
"I didn’t know that gambling did not affect
everyone the way it affected me."
Dear Devastated:
Your first mistake is having a baby
out of wedlock. A nother mistake
is a boyfriend that show ed disap­
pointm ent because o f the baby’s
gender. You can see in advance
that if you stay with this man
y ou’re going to have cheating,
dram a from another woman and a
stressful relationship. It’sto y o u r
advantage to organize the child
support paym ents and seek com ­
mitment. Ifh e w o n ', do the right
thing, kick him to the curb, raise
your child and keep it moving.
Ask Deannh is written by Deanna
M. Write Ask Deanna! Email:
askdeannal9yahoo.com or 264
S. LaCiene/ta Blvd. Suite 128J
Beverly Hills. CA 90211. Website:
www.askdeanna.com
"The counselor made me understand that
there was hope and I have not placed a
bet in 6 years.”
Problem Gambling Helpline
1 877 MY LIMIT
Treatment is free, confidential and it works.
Professional counselors are available 24 hours a day. / days a week,
l og on to 1877MYLIMIT.org for more information or to chat with a counselor on line.
I
I