Community-Led Action to End Hunger

September 27th 2021

Oregon Food Bank is proud to anchor one of the largest food assistance networks in the country, made up of 21 regional food banks and more than 1,400 pantries, markets and meal sites. Even with this scale, we know we can’t end hunger for good through emergency food assistance alone. We need true, systemic change to address hunger at its roots.

That's why we announced the launch of our statewide Policy Leadership Council, a new governing body that places public policy and grassroots advocacy decisions in the hands of community members. The Council is made up entirely of community leaders who also have lived experience of food insecurity, systemic racism, gender oppression and other root causes of hunger. Collectively, their leadership advances Oregon Food Bank’s 10-year vision and belief that the strongest solutions to food insecurity come from community expertise.

Meet the Council

Representing urban, rural and suburban communities from Astoria to Umatilla, Eugene to Grande Ronde, Policy Leadership Council members bring an incredible depth of local leadership and experience to the food bank’s mission to end hunger and its root causes. Together, they’ll determine Oregon Food Bank's grassroots advocacy agenda by identifying and addressing the policies and systems that drive hunger and poverty in our communities. We’re excited to introduce one of our amazing Council members today: Andrea Gonzalez.

Andrea Gonzalez
she/her/ella | Astoria

Andrea completed her master’s degree in social work in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, through all of the social, economic and technical challenges that came with it. Andrea partnered with the Tillamook County Food Bank to create culturally-specific food services for Latinx communities in the area. Andrea spends a lot of time working and organizing with Latinx communities in Clatsop County and Tillamook County. Andrea is passionate about providing equitable access to resources in her community so people can cultivate their own food. Andrea’s vision for a hunger-free community is that everyone has access to resources so they can provide their own solutions.

The system isn’t made for us; it’s made to exploit us as People of Color. How do we engage in the system, but also address the inequity in the system? It’s important to assess what causes the metaphorical fires for families and think bigger-scale — like policy change — in order to meet the needs of the community, especially those who have been marginalized for so long.

This is an exciting time for Oregon Food Bank’s advocacy efforts and the broader movement to end hunger in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We hope you’ll get involved today!

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Community-Led Action to End Hunger