PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon is top on the list for hunger.

New numbers from the USDA show Oregon is number three in the country for hunger.

Food is flying off the shelves at a food pantry in Northeast Portland.

Link: OregonFoodBank

"We got three jars of peanut butter for gosh sakes, how do you give people a food box without peanut butter?," asked director John Elizalde.

He said the need is up 20 percent this year from layoffs, illness and foreclosures. For many, there is no financial shock absorber.

An example of food donated to the food bank. (File Photo)

Mary Becker lost her factory job two weeks ago.

"I come down here today to get food and the cupboards almost bare," she said.

The turbulent economy means more seniors are turning to meals at Loaves and Fishes. Demand is up 15-percent. Many seniors are watching their retirement dollars slip away in a rollercoaster stock market.

It’s forcing them to make tough choices between rent, heat and food.

"Food is your only flexibility left because you have set fixed costs you have to pay," said Joan Smith, executive director of Loaves and Fishes.

With winter approaching, organizers say it will likely get worse before it gets better