On the Move: How Elder Johnny Bradford Expands Food Access Across Oregon

Meeting People Where They Are

At age 71, Elder Johnny Bradford still has the strong build of the athlete he once was. It’s eight in the morning, and he loads hundreds of food boxes onto his rented truck. Ryder gives him a discount on a refrigerated truck—he is grateful, though someday he hopes to have his own. For now, he smacks the doors shut, climbs behind the wheel, and says a prayer before starting the day. If you ask where he is going, he’ll tell you, “I go where the spirit takes me.”

A Mobile Approach to Food Distribution

On any given day, this might mean driving to a community shelter, a safehouse for survivors of domestic violence or a low-income housing complex, offering food boxes and groceries. It might mean delivering to Black, Russian and Somali churches. Or driving far beyond Portland, bringing food to communities like the Warm Springs Reservation or to firefighters battling wildfires.

“I want to be a blessing to the community and a servant,” he explains. Johnny Bradford’s organization, On the Move Ministries with Jesus Outreach, works outside the walls of the church. Faith remains an important part of Bradford’s approach to community service. “I go where people are hungry,” he says.

Oregon Food Bank partners with Johnny Bradford, providing awards for food, supporting his annual backpack giveaway event, which draws more than 500 people, and building his grant-writing skills. Oregon Food Bank is also helping him establish a permanent food pantry at Mallory Street Church, which will give families in the neighborhood access to fresh groceries. He hopes to become an official Oregon Food Bank partner in the future, which would expand his access to fresh and culturally appropriate foods for the communities he serves.

“Johnny’s knowledge of the community and advocacy shows why people closest to hunger should shape policy,” said Devin Dinihanian, Community Organizer at Oregon Food Bank.

Johnny calls what he does “street ministry,” saying he comes from the streets himself and relates to people there. He goes where others don’t—into camps and places where people are experiencing houselessness or struggling with substance use. He might wake a man sleeping on the sidewalk and hand him a sandwich. “Sometimes people just need someone to stop and see them,” Bradford says. “When you give people food and something to put on, they will talk to you.”

Building Trust Through Food

For Bradford, food is often the first step toward connection. “Food brings safety,” he says.

A key part of the work is mentoring young men who are struggling or getting into trouble. Some come through community mental health programs or court-mandated community service. They help load the truck or join delivery runs. The work gives them responsibility, structure and a chance to see a different path forward. The ministry also connects people with basic supplies, mentorship and support for those navigating housing instability, court involvement or other life challenges.

From Personal Experience to Community Leadership

Johnny grew up in Southern Los Angeles, not far from Watts and Compton, where he was known as a strong student and athlete. But life took difficult turns early, and he struggled to find direction.

Years later, Bradford says he reached a turning point. In his late thirties, he decided to rebuild his life. Since then, he has focused his energy on helping others who are facing challenges similar to those he once experienced.

When a friend in Portland became a church leader, Bradford came to visit and decided to stay, where he also had extended family. Over time, he began organizing community outreach, often handing out food from the back of his car while talking with people on the street.

“I just started liking what I was doing,” he says.

Thirteen years ago he walked past a police station that was handing out food as part of a community outreach. He offered to help, and they gave him a few boxes, which he delivered. After that, he returned each week. From there, he never stopped. He built a network of food suppliers and community partners. First he used a church van, then a shuttle bus. Today he drives a refrigerated rental truck. He distributes as much as five tons of food a week. His “on the move” approach gives him reach that larger, more distant food organizations often lack.

“There is so much need in Portland. So much hunger. So many people are struggling,” he says. “I could give 20,000 pounds of food in four hours.”

Across Oregon, rising housing costs and low wages continue to push many families to the edge, increasing the need for community-based food distribution.

Certain moments stay with him and make all the difference.

Like the time he drove his refrigerated truck to a mobile home park. A little girl met him at the door. She turned to her mother and said, “Mama, I was just thinking about milk, and you said we didn’t have any. And now this man brought some.” She was so happy she hugged him.

“After that, I came back and visited her family once a month. Her dad had been struggling and later told me he wanted to enter a recovery program. I helped connect him with one, and he has turned his life around.”

Stories like that remind Bradford why he keeps going.

He knows a box of food cannot solve everything. Hunger is often tied to unstable housing, low wages, gaps in access to healthcare and systems that leave too many people struggling to meet basic needs. But food can open the door.

Why Community Partnerships Matter

Through partnerships with community leaders like Bradford, Oregon Food Bank works to expand access to food while also supporting long-term solutions that address hunger and its root causes.

For Bradford, the mission remains simple.