Oregon Food Bank’s mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Yet 1 in 7 people and 1 in 6 kids experience hunger in Oregon. Food assistance visits across Oregon and SW Washington increased 51% in just two years, with a record 2.9 million visits last year. Our state is in a hunger crisis, and it’s getting worse.
The federal administration has cut essential anti-hunger programs and continues to threaten communities that we know are most vulnerable to hunger and poverty. Congress recently made the biggest cut to SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) in history (H.R. 1), making it even harder for Oregonians to put food on the table. These cuts harm communities already facing heightened barriers to food, including immigrants, older adults, rural communities, unhoused families and former foster youth.
State lawmakers must act now to ensure that Oregonians have access to the food they need to keep families and communities resilient. There is no one perfect solution to hunger in Oregon. That’s why we are calling on Oregon’s legislature to pass a series of proposals called the “Anti-Hunger Package.”
“I’m from Eastern Oregon, and I’ve seen how hunger shows up quietly, in skipped meals and hard choices. Hunger is a policy choice. What happens in Salem matters to families across the state, and the decisions lawmakers make this session will determine who gets to eat and who doesn’t.”
–Adrienne Sampson, a member of Oregon Food Bank’s Policy Leadership Council
Oregon Food Bank is a convening member of Food for All Oregonians, a community-led coalition working to pass policies that ensure we all have access to the food we need to thrive. In 2026, we are advocating to pass the Anti-Hunger Package, which will:
School Meals for All: Make sure all kids in Oregon can eat free breakfast and lunch at school, no matter where they live. (SB 1518)
Protect SNAP for Oregonians and sustain our most effective anti-hunger program
Provide relief for thousands of immigrants, refugees, asylees, and humanitarian parolees who are losing SNAP benefits due to H.R. 1. ($3.5m budget request)
Fund Oregon’s Food Assistance Network so it can keep food flowing to the growing number of Oregonians experiencing hunger
Immigrants and refugees in Oregon are already twice as likely to face hunger and poverty due to the unique barriers they face, and hunger worsens when families are denied the stability to build secure lives. The Immigrant Justice Package provides the Oregon legislature with a critical opportunity to address federal attacks on immigrant families and cuts to safety net programs.
Ensure Equal Access to Justice and Help Children: Invest in legal services and direct support to families with children who have lost a parent and breadwinner to help with utility payments, housing costs, food benefits, and more.
Strengthen Existing Protections: Keep students safe and parents informed by providing clear communication procedures for schools to rely on during sensitive incidents, prevent data brokers from exploiting Oregonians’ personal information for profit, stop employers from retaliating against a worker who lawfully updates their work documents, and more.
Maintain Funding for Healthier Oregon: Protect access to comprehensive healthcare for all Oregonians, regardless of age or immigration status.
Food for All Oregonians Anti-Hunger Policy Package: Help ensure all Oregonians have the food we need to thrive.
Hunger and healthcare are directly connected. A lack of nourishing food can seriously harm our health, and high medical costs force impossible decisions between the food and care we need to thrive.
That’s why we support protecting current funding to maintain the Healthier Oregon Program. Healthier Oregon ensures all Oregonians can access comprehensive health coverage if they meet eligibility requirements, regardless of age or immigration status.
“Hunger in Oregon is at record levels, and food banks cannot replace a system that keeps hunger growing. When food assistance programs are weakened, families lose stability and pantry lines grow. Food is not a privilege or leverage. It is a basic human right. It is policy choices that decide who can eat and we must make better choices.”
-Andrea Williams, President of Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank supports preserving Oregon’s ability to invest in programs that address the root causes of hunger by partially “disconnecting” from federal tax provisions that would harm Oregon due to H.R. 1. If nothing changes, Oregon would lose hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax revenue – critical funding for anti-hunger programs, schools, housing, child care, and more. We also support proven ways to help low-income families make ends meet, like boosting the Earned Income Tax Credit. (SB 1507)
We know we can’t end hunger for good through food alone; we have to address the policies and systems that drive hunger and poverty in our communities. We also know that due to injustices, many people experience hunger at disproportionately high rates: Black, Indigenous and all People of Color; immigrants and refugees; trans and gender expansive individuals; and single mothers and caregivers.
There’s no one better to name solutions to hunger than those of us who have experienced it first-hand — and the Oregon Food Bank Policy Leadership Council is made up entirely of community leaders with lived experience of hunger from across our state. Our Policy Leadership Council has endorsed all of these anti-hunger policy and investment priorities for the 2026 legislative session.
As food insecurity continues to rise across Oregon, this year’s legislative session is a crucial opportunity to take action to help end hunger in our state. Together, we can ensure food is available to all who need it while addressing the root causes driving hunger in our communities. We hope you'll get involved in whatever way is most meaningful to you!
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