Everyone should be able to put food on the table

Sitting down to eat good food with people you love is a beautiful, basic human experience that everyone deserves. Around the table, we share more than food — we pass along stories, traditions and care.

“The best part of my day is dinner with my husband and the boys,” said Nicki Segura, Oregon Food Bank’s Language Accessibility Manager. “It’s important that our kiddos have nourishing meals, especially for two growing boys. A good meal … should be something everyone gets to share.”

But across Oregon, too many families are robbed of this simple ritual. Every day, parents are forced to make impossible choices: food or rent? Groceries or medicine?

Today, 1 in 8 people in Oregon experience hunger and 1 in 6 kids don’t have enough to eat. Last year, Oregonians visited food assistance sites 2.5 million times — a 31% increase from the previous year. Hunger does not hit every community the same way. Due to a long history of systemic exclusions, we live in a world where Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color, immigrants and refugees, single moms and caregivers, and trans and gender expansive communities are two to three times more likely to face hunger and poverty.

“As an elementary educator, I experienced firsthand the importance of a nourishing meal and how it supports kids’ social and physical development,” Nicki said. “No one should have to choose between paying the bills and putting food on the table for their children.”

Yet many immigrant and refugee workers are blocked from food assistance and safety net programs, even though they pay taxes.

That’s why we’re advocating for Food for All Oregonians (SB 611), a bill that would extend food assistance to more of our neighbors, especially young children and immigrant families who are unjustly excluded from federal food assistance. This state-based program would be a lifeline for families across Oregon, making sure our youngest kids (6 and younger) have the nourishment they need to grow and thrive.

“I think about my own kids and the future I want for them. I want their home to be a state where hunger is not a reality for any child, no matter their background or immigration status. I want them to feel safe, welcomed and supported. That’s the Oregon I want for my family, for all of our families — a hunger-free Oregon for everyone.”
—Andrea Williams, President, Oregon Food Bank

Join us in supporting Food for All Oregonians, because everyone should have the security of knowing their family will have enough food on the table – no matter what.

Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to support Food for All Oregonians.