Gatlin Fasone Alshuyukh: All Lane County kids deserve access to food
Gatlin Fasone Alshuyukh: All Lane County kids deserve access to food
Gatlin Fasone Alshuyukh is a resident of Eugene and is the Organic Garden Program Manager with Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad. She enjoys spending time with her family, sunshine and gardening.
All kids should have the nourishing foods they need to thrive. However, the rising cost of living has amplified existing disparities statewide and made it harder for families to put food on the table. Historically underserved communities, including rural and Indigenous communities, folks living with disabilities, immigrants, and people of color are experiencing the highest rates of hunger. Across Oregon, 1 in 6 children don’t have enough to eat and too many young kids here in Lane County are unfairly excluded from food assistance – just because of their immigration status. This legislative session, we have an opportunity to change that.
As the Organic Garden Program Manager with Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, I know Lane County families thrive when they can grow and enjoy nourishing foods that feel like home. We provide culturally responsive programming and essential services to the Latine and immigrant community of Lane County, and a core part of our work is supporting local and equitable food access. In the garden program, 200 households grow their own produce in seven community gardens across Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove. Our social services team connects Spanish-speaking clients with other services and resources in the community, and hosts a bimonthly food distribution in partnership with FOOD For Lane County.
We are one of many organizations increasing food access in our local community, including FOOD For Lane County, the Bethel Food Hub, The Eugene Mission, The Arc of Lane County, and Burrito Brigade, and many other food pantries, hot meal sites, and agricultural or garden-based projects. Even with all of these resources, local food insecurity is increasing. Tackling hunger in our communities requires systemic changes.
That’s why Plaza is on the Steering Committee for the Food for All Oregonians campaign, together with community leaders across the state. We’re working to pass Food for All Oregonians (Senate Bill 611) in this year’s legislative session. This community-led policy will allow all children ages 0-6 to access food assistance, regardless of their immigration status. Food for All Oregonians will provide grocery money to families in a way that is similar to federal SNAP food assistance benefits, serving our kids who are too young to access food at school. It will also ensure that all Oregonians are aware of this vital resource by partnering with trusted community organizations to provide cultural and language-specific outreach and service navigation.
When more Lane County families can afford to buy food locally, our economy and local businesses thrive. When $1.00 is spent with SNAP, $1.50 goes back into Oregon’s economy through purchases at local grocery stores, farmers markets and more. Shopping with SNAP allows people to visit stores at the times most accessible for them, instead of disrupting their work and school schedules– which often conflict with when food assistance sites are open. SNAP also enables people to make decisions about what works best in their homes, allowing them to cook with culturally important ingredients and pass on family recipes.
Our community is stronger when everyone has access to nourishing foods. Over 50 years of research reveals that low-income communities that access food assistance experience better outcomes in health, education and more when compared to low-income communities that do not access food assistance. For example, they experience reduced absenteeism from school and work, increased housing stability and job security, and people of all ages are healthier and depend less on health interventions. With the closure of Eugene's only hospital, it’s more crucial than ever to ensure that everyone can access the nourishing food we need to stay healthy.
That’s why we urge Speaker of the House, Representative Julie Fahey, to make Food For All Oregonians a legislative priority this year. Lane County voters want to live in thriving communities, and by passing SB 611A, we can make sure that all young kids have access to nourishing food. Our neighbors Washington and California have already successfully passed similar legislation, and we are confident that Food for All Oregonians would be a success in our state.
No parent should have to face the impossible choice of paying bills or putting food on the table. We need to encourage our lawmakers to prioritize Food For All Oregonians, because food is a human right, and because all Oregonians want to live and raise our children in healthy and thriving communities.
Please take a moment today to tell lawmakers: Food for All Oregonians must be part of the state budget.
