From Tillamook: Policy Leadership Council Member David on a hunger-free future

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.

That’s where the Oregon Food Bank Policy Leadership Council (PLC) comes in. The PLC brings together leaders from across the state — from Ontario to Medford to Portland — to guide our policy and advocacy work. Each of the council’s members draws on their lived experience with food insecurity and systemic injustice to help us address hunger at its roots.

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.

SIGN UP TO TAKE ACTION

We sat down with council member, David Soria Garcia from Tillamook, to hear his vision for a hunger-free Oregon.

OREGON FOOD BANK: How did you get involved in food justice?

OREGON FOOD BANK: What drives your passion to end hunger?

DAVID: I have experienced food insecurity myself. I was balancing pursuing higher education with lack of resources, like housing inequities and transportation, and it was hard. I have a mission for myself and for my family to provide the best I can, and that’s what motivated me to pursue higher education.

OREGON FOOD BANK: Tell me about your community!

DAVID: My community includes farmworkers, DACA* recipients, single parents and individuals without immigration status. A lot of people from Tillamook County… I notice they’re scared of making their voices heard. They’re trying to make change, but they fear the government will do something to them if they speak up.

*Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — a policy allowing people who arrived in the United States as children to avoid deportation and secure a work permit, Social Security number and driver’s license, enabling them to live and work in the U.S. openly. (Boundless)

OREGON FOOD BANK: Tell me about something important the Policy Leadership Council is working on this year.

DAVID: I am particularly proud of the Policy Leadership Council’s focus on integrating food insecurity with broader social issues, such as affordable housing and workers’ rights. These areas are crucial because they address the systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity and create an approach to improving community well-being.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD INSECURITY AND ADVOCACY

OREGON FOOD BANK: What do you wish people understood about hunger?

DAVID: Many people might not understand that hunger in Oregon affects a broad spectrum of individuals, not just those in extreme poverty. Food insecurity can impact people in different demographics, including those who are employed but still struggle due to low wages, high living costs and systemic inequities.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POLICY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL