PRESS RELEASE: Hundreds Join Forces at Oregon’s Capitol to Urge Lawmakers to Pass Food for All Oregonians (SB 611)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2025
Contact: Miranda Brown, press@oregonfoodbank.org, 909-838-2824

Hundreds Join Forces at Oregon’s Capitol to Urge Lawmakers to Pass Food for All Oregonians (SB 611)

With federal gaps growing, Oregon has a chance to strengthen immigrant justice and food security

Salem, Ore. — Yesterday, over 250 advocates, community members and coalition partners from all corners of Oregon gathered at the Oregon State Capitol for the largest advocacy day since the pandemic urging lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 611 (Food for All Oregonians). Advocates met with 51 legislators, representing 75 districts, to push for this critical bipartisan legislation that would ensure more Oregonians — including immigrants and refugees — can access to vital food assistance. As part of the Immigrant Justice Package, a key recommendation of the Oregon Hunger Task Force’s Roadmap to End Hunger and a priority of the BIPOC Caucus, Food for All Oregonians is a statewide movement to advance immigrant justice and ensure Oregonians have access to the food they need to thrive.

With more than 180 organizations backing this effort, the advocacy day demonstrated the overwhelming public support for ensuring that food assistance reaches Oregon’s immigrant youth and elders. Right now, one in six kids in Oregon is food insecure, and one in 13 Oregonians over 60 struggle to put food on the table. And last year, Oregon Food Bank saw 2.5 million visits to food assistance sites across the region — alarmingly, visits from children rose by 30%. While food assistance sites work tirelessly to meet this need, food alone cannot solve hunger — passing policies like Food for All Oregonians is critical.

"As a mother, I want to know that my kids — and all kids — have a stable, nourished future," said Andrea Williams, Oregon Food Bank President. "Hunger should never be a barrier to learning, to growing, to thriving. Food for All Oregonians is our chance to create a stronger, healthier future for our children, our elders and our communities."

Food for All Oregonians would mirror the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), making food assistance available to youth and elder Oregonians who are excluded from the federal program due to immigration status. Programs like SNAP are the most effective anti-hunger tools we have, lifting millions out of poverty each year and helping keep families stable. They also prevent houselessness by easing financial strain, lowering eviction risk and supporting families at risk of losing their homes. In Oregon, many people who rely on food assistance are also renters, making this a key strategy for housing stability. Washington and California have already expanded food assistance to ensure families and individuals are not excluded based on immigration status. It’s time for Oregon to catch up and pass Food for All Oregonians this session.

"Oregon has long been a place where we care for our neighbors and step up to meet big challenges," said Senator Wlnsvey Campos [D-Aloha]. "Food for All Oregonians is a chance for us to live out those values — ensuring that every child, every elder and every family has access to the food they need. I’m proud to join advocates across the state in making this vision a reality."

Food for All Oregonians is not just the right thing to do — it’s a smart investment in Oregon’s economy. The USDA estimates that every $1 spent on food assistance generates about $1.50 in local economic activity, supporting businesses, jobs and wages across the state.

“This isn't just about food,” said Martha Verduzco, Director of the Immigrant Help Center and the Rural Organizing Project. “It's about our humanity, our compassion, and our responsibility to each other. Our legal status should not matter.”

With hunger at its highest levels in decades, today’s advocacy day made one thing clear: Oregonians are ready for bold action. With bipartisan support, we urge lawmakers to pass Food for All Oregonians (SB 611) this session to ensure that Oregonians — including youth and elder immigrants — have access to the food we need to thrive.

For media inquiries contact Miranda Brown at press@oregonfoodbank.org.

PHOTO CAPTION A: More than 250 advocates, community members and coalition partners come together to urge legislators to pass Food for All Oregonians (SB 611). (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

PHOTO CAPTION B: Oregon Food Bank President Andrea Williams addresses community leaders at Food for All Oregonians advocacy day. (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

PHOTO CAPTION C: Hundreds of community members from all corners of Oregon rally together before speaking with legislators. (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

PHOTO CAPTION D: Community organizer draws “Food for All Oregonians” sign, advocating for access to food as a human right. (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

B-roll can be found at the link here.

Additional photos and b-roll footage are available upon request.

###

ABOUT OREGON FOOD BANK

At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. 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 at OregonFoodBank.org and @oregonfoodbank on social media.