Oregon Food Bank 2026 State of Hunger Address

Good morning, Oregonians — Those of you who are watching me on screens and those here with me this morning!

I want to start by asking you a simple question. What did you have for breakfast today? Coffee? Toast? Something quick before heading to the Capitol!?

It all sounds like a familiar start to the day for many of us. I had my coffee and made breakfast for my two kids.

But thousands of children in Oregon left home today without eating at all. Not because their parents do not care. Not because there isn’t enough food in this country. But because the systems meant to ensure families can eat are failing them.

THIS is the reality in Oregon today.

Our 2026 State of Hunger Report indicates that Hunger in Oregon is at record levels. In just two years, visits to the Oregon Food Bank Network increased 51 percent, reaching 2.9 million visits last year.

Across Oregon and Southwest Washington, 1 in 7 people and 1 in 6 children face food insecurity.

That means children are trying to learn while worrying about their next meal. Parents skip meals so their kids can eat. Older adults have to choose between groceries and medicine.

These are not just numbers. These are human beings. Human beings living in constant survival mode.

Food banks are doing everything we can while lines at food pantries keep growing.

Last year, our network of 21 regional food banks partnered with more than 1,200 food assistance sites in every corner of the region to distribute over 98 million meals. That is 117 million pounds of food. That’s massive! We are so thankful for our truck drivers, warehouse workers, and volunteers who move food day in and day out to make that happen.

We are doing everything we can. And, it is still not enough. Food banks cannot replace a system that keeps hunger growing. We are not designed to fill the gap created by government programs.

In Oregon, for every meal food banks provide, SNAP provides 7. SNAP is the most effective anti-hunger program we have. It stabilizes households. It supports local economies and grocery stores. When it is disrupted — people go hungry.

Recent federal actions, including H.R. 1, are already reducing access to food for Oregonians. The law makes the largest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history by tightening eligibility rules and cutting benefits for people who cannot meet new paperwork or reporting demands. About 310,000 adults face additional barriers to accessing food assistance. At the same time, more than 30,000 Oregon households will see their benefits reduced, and thousands of immigrants have already lost SNAP entirely.

This is what hunger looks like in Oregon right now. It is not sudden. It is not theoretical. It is ongoing. And it is shaped by policy choices.

We can continue to watch hunger get worse or we can Rethink Hunger and decide to address the conditions that are driving it in the first place.

The path forward is clear. The Food for All Oregonian coalition has put forward the Anti-Hunger Package. It lays out proven policies that work.

• School Meals for All makes sure all kids in Oregon can eat free breakfast and lunch at school, no matter where they live

• Protecting SNAP sustains our most effective anti-hunger program for Oregonians

• Providing relief helps immigrants, refugees, asylees and humanitarian parolees losing SNAP due to H.R. 1 still put food on the table.

• Funding Oregon’s Food Assistance Network keeps food flowing as hunger continues to rise across Oregon.