Demand for emergency food boxes in Oregon and Clark County, Wa., is, once again, on the rise, according to the Oregon Food Bank Network's annual statistics, released this week.
The report was released alongside the results from the Food Bank's Hunger Factors Assessment Survey of food-box recipients. 
In its 37-county service area distribution of emergency food boxes increased 5 percent – from 752,000 to 792,000 from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008.
That's 40,000 more emergency food boxes – the first significant increase in four years. In some pockets of the state demand was up nearly 30 percent.
"During the previous three years, distribution of emergency food boxes remained at a high but stable level, giving us hope that we were beginning to turn the tide against hunger, but the recent economic slowdown has altered that," said Rachel Bristol, executive director and CEO of Oregon Food Bank.
The OFB Network conducts the Hunger Factors Survey every two years to better understand the factors leading Oregonians to seek emergency food.
During the past year, the number of people receiving an emergency food box increased from an average of 192,000 per month to more than 200,000 per month with an estimated 850,000 people annually needing help from the OFB Network....

Jefferson High School has witnessed another setback. Last week, school officials were forced to disband the sophomore class at the Young Men's Academy due to lack of enrollment.

About four years ago, Antwaun Spencer faced a difficult proposition: tell the truth and risk alienation from friends, or spend the next 12 years in prison for something he didn't do. The code of the street is strong, but Spencer's desire to turn his life around was stronger. "Before I got saved I was living that other life," Spencer told The Skanner...

Quincy Jones answers questions at a press conference before the official dedication of Garfield High School's new Quincy Jones Performance Center, Sept. 26. Jones, a Garfield High School graduate, Federal Judge Richard Jones, his younger brother, and their families and friends celebrated with hundreds of graduates, former teachers, administrators and neighbors.

The Youth Voter Registration Drive and Rally – "Be a Super Hero, Save the Vote" is Saturday Oct. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. at Seattle City Hall.
Oct. 4 is the last day to register to vote and qualify for the Nov. 4 presidential elections. The "Be a Super Hero" event is free and family-friendly, but especially geared towards young adults registering for the first time.
King County Elections will be registering voters and providing an accessible voting machine. Participants at this event have the opportunity to cast a test ballot using the machine.
A "Kids Zone" will include kids' ballots and an oversized post card to display the children's dreams for the future. Kids will also receive a free voting-related coloring book.
The "Be a Super Hero" campaign is a non-partisan effort organized by Musica Entertainment, in partnership with King County Elections, Seattle City Hall and with the support of Councilmember Bruce Harrell.
Musica staffer Emoree Martin said this event was conceived by Musica CEO Tony Benton. She said the company's mission is to produce events that focus on creating awareness and dialogue and the idea of a global community.
"The voter registration drive came out of the feeling that the 18-25 voting demographic is going to have a big, big impact on the upcoming elections," Martin said. "People are really excited, we've had a great response — we've been lucky to have some great key players with us on this event."
A key goal of "Be a Super Hero" is to ensure balanced information, political awareness and an open dialog amongst participants and advocacy groups.....

The public is invited to the Third Annual Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators Education Summit that is a meeting of the minds about the best ways to educate children in the pubic schools and address the achievement gap....

The 2008 Seattle Race Conference meets Oct. 11 to discuss the issue of reparations and how they help to address racial inequalities and heal diverse communities. "We hope to implement some counter-balance to the inequality. It is a natural follow-on to how past discrimination effects the present."...

What's happening for you in Portland this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time.….

What's happening for you in Seattle this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of free community events to fill your spare time..…

Jewell Parker Rhodes will read from her novel, "Yellow Moon" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 at The Seattle Public Library, Douglass-Truth Branch, 2300 E. Yesler Way. "Yellow Moon" is a sequel to the book, "Voodoo Season," about a wazimamoto, an African vampire, who is stalking Marie Leveau, a doctor and voodoo practitioner in New Orleans....