"No child deserves to be hungry sitting in their classroom as they try to learn,” said Enrique Farrera, President of the 42,000-member Oregon Education Association, which represents Oregon educators in pre-school, k-12, and community college settings across the state. “Donald Trump robbed from hungry children to give tax cuts to billionaires with his Big Ugly Bill, and kids are hurting in every community across Oregon because of that. Educators across our state have been self-organizing direct aid projects and ad hoc food bank programs because our students and their parents were quite literally unable to afford food to eat because of these cruel SNAP cuts. Our statewide union is proud to contribute an emergency disbursement of $260,000 to food relief efforts in Oregon, $20,000 of which is going directly to Oregon Food Bank."
Oregon’s Largest Educator Union Donates $200,000+ to Local Efforts, Oregon Food Bank, to Offset Devastating Federal SNAP Cuts
Oregon’s Largest Educator Union Donates $200,000+ to Local Efforts, Oregon Food Bank, to Offset Devastating Federal SNAP Cuts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2026
Media Contact: Rachel.Gumpert@OregonEd.Org
Oregon’s Largest Educator Union Donates $200,000+ to Local Efforts, Oregon Food Bank, to Offset Devastating Federal SNAP Cuts
Educators Rise to Meet the Bell and Help Hungry Students Across the State
Portland, OR - After federal cuts in November rocked Oregon families and worsened food insecurity for hundreds of thousands of Oregon children, the largest union of educators in the state has partnered with Oregon Food Bank with an eight figure donation to fight child hunger across the state.
“We are deeply grateful to the Oregon Education Association and its members for their partnership and support,” said Andrea Williams, President of Oregon Food Bank. “As a mom of two kids, I know how critical access to nourishing food is for kids’ ability to learn and thrive. Teachers see this reality every day. They are often the first to spot when families are struggling and are some of our strongest advocates for ending hunger. That’s why we’re calling on Oregon’s legislators to act this short session by supporting School Meals for All and protecting SNAP. When educators and communities come together, we can address the root causes of hunger so students can focus on learning, not on where their next meal is coming from.”
More than 757,000 Oregonians rely on SNAP support to pay for their groceries, including many vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities. Over 210,000 Oregon children count on SNAP. Food insecurity has been directly linked to drastically worsened academic outcomes, as well as painful psychological impacts on children. Already severe economic injustice in Oregon was significantly exacerbated by COVID, and food insecurity has become an increasing crisis in Oregon the past several years. One in six Oregon kids now faces food insecurity, which disproportionately impacts historically disadvantaged communities; further entrenching and worsening existing injustice.
On November 1, the day the SNAP cuts went into effect, the Oregon Education Association internally announced the establishment of an emergency statewide crisis relief fund intended to offset the SNAP cuts. Resources were available to union educators in every school district in the state. Local Education Associations within OEA applied for and received more than $260,000 in grant funding to go directly to aiding emergent food relief projects in their local school districts. Local Education Associations will be presenting their donations in small local events over the next several weeks.
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The Oregon Education Association represents more than 42,000 Oregon educators across the state, in pre-school, k-12, and community college settings. The dedicated educators they represent include teachers, educational aids, bus drivers, janitors, and school counselors. OEA and its members are committed to advancing social justice and civil rights, as well as playing an active role in our school communities in cooperation with parents, for the good of our students.
About Oregon Food Bank
At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food is a basic human right. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of barriers to employment, education, housing, and healthcare. That’s why we work systemically in our mission to end hunger in Oregon: we build community connections to help people access nourishing, affordable food today, and we build community power to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good. Join us online OregonFoodBank.org and @oregonfoodbank on social media.
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