Matt Newell-Ching, Senior Public Policy Manager, Oregon Food BankThere's no reason we have to live in a world where there is hunger. There's enough food in the United States. And there's also enough food in the world to feed every single person who is alive today. Continuing to live in a world where there is hunger is a choice. We need to make the choice together to say ‘That's unacceptable. We can’t live in that world.’ I don't think that's a dream that's out of reach.
Hunger is a Policy Choice: Join us for Hunger Action Month
Hunger is a Policy Choice: Join us for Hunger Action Month
What is Hunger Action Month?
“Hunger is a policy choice.” What do we mean when we say that? We mean that food alone cannot solve hunger.
Hunger isn’t a personal failure; it’s a policy failure.
The laws our elected officials make — about wages, food assistance, housing, childcare and healthcare — decide who can afford basic needs and who can’t.
And yet — our lawmakers at the state and federal levels continue to make policy choices that put us last. Choices that put more money into the hands of billionaires and leave the rest of us struggling.
We mean that there are enough resources in Oregon for everyone to have nourishing food that feels like home. The resources are here. What’s missing is the political will to make it happen.
We mean that poverty is not the result of bad personal choices. It is the result of policy choices that make life unaffordable. Skipping coffee or canceling streaming services will not cover rent that takes half a paycheck or medical bills that cost thousands. People are doing their best. The system is what needs fixing.
We mean that emergency food assistance was never meant to be a long-term solution. Oregon Food Bank has had our doors open for over forty years and still, one in eight Oregonians is experiencing hunger.
Policy choices make hunger worse for Oregonians
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our communities have survived years of job losses, economic hardship and inflation. In response, Oregon Food Bank has effectively met the growing need for food assistance. Yet, despite the unprecedented number of visits to our food sites in the past year, the federal administration has halted millions of dollars in food and funding from food banks.
Recent federal policies like the Republican budget bill (HR1) slashes Medicaid and takes away SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) from thousands of Oregonians. Due to federal uncertainty, tariffs and trade wars, the Oregon legislature announced it has less to spend on safety net programs. Families already on the brink will most certainly feel the impact of these policies and economic realities.
Congress makes policy decisions every day that impact our ability to put food on the table. They make choices that directly impact our ability to access healthcare, childcare, housing and more. And Oregon families deserve better choices.
State lawmakers are failing Oregonians who are just trying to make ends meet
It’s not only federal policy that is making hunger worse. Oregon’s state legislature has had the opportunity to address hunger in the short and long term during the 2025 legislative session — and they let down every Oregonian by choosing not to.
In early 2025, thousands of Oregonians called, emailed and wrote letters urging lawmakers to pass Food for All Oregonians (SB 611). Food for All Oregonians would have ensured immigrant families would have access to grocery money (similar to SNAP benefits). Despite this outpouring of advocacy and bipartisan support, legislative leaders chose not to pass it.
The Oregon legislature also could have passed School Meals for All, making Oregon the 10th state to ensure all K-12 students have free access to breakfast and lunch. This bill had overwhelming bipartisan support. Research consistently shows that kids do better in school when there’s no stigma associated with school meals. While New York was successful in enacting similar legislation this year, Oregon did not reach the finish line — despite passing funding levels sufficient to cover the cost of meals.
We are not giving up. We will continue to advocate for these policies to become law.
Together, we are powerful. Together, we can end hunger.
When lawmakers pass policies that harm us — like cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — they rely on us to think we are powerless. But the truth is that we have the power to end hunger. By themselves, our donations, our calls to our legislators or our volunteer hours may seem small. But when we take action, we are part of a rising wave of Oregonians saying no to hunger.
Hunger is a policy choice. But together, we can take action. We can put pressure on our lawmakers to be accountable to us. We can make sure Oregonians still have access to fresh, nourishing food that feels like home. Together, we can show up for our communities across Oregon.
Join us this Hunger Action Month alongside hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to say no to hunger. Hunger is a policy choice — and that means we can change it.
