Janet Orozco Ortiz“I am making a big impact in my community by raising awareness about food justice issues and the root causes of hunger. I’m fighting for food justice because everyone deserves to have access to healthy and affordable food. It’s about creating a fair and equitable food system for all. Food is the universal language that unites us all,” Ortiz said.
Food for All Oregonians Summit Champions Food as a Human Right
Food for All Oregonians Summit Champions Food as a Human Right
On April 13, 2024, people from across Oregon gathered for the Food for All Oregonians Summit both virtually and in-person at Portland Community College Sylvania.
"It was inspiring to gather virtually with so many people across Oregon who believe that food is a human right. I learned so much from people who shared their stories and had new and exciting ideas to help keep fighting for Food for All Oregonians. It was invigorating to be in community and truly feel the passion that is driving this campaign forward. Hybrid events like the strategy summit play a key role in reducing geographic barriers, enabling broad community participation and engagement that empowers our communities and provides invaluable insights for Oregon Food Bank," shared Damien Mojarro, Oregon Food Bank project coordinator.
The statewide strategy summit included workshops and trainings about the Oregon Legislature, how to power map and create arcs of escalation. Organizer Gustavo Diaz drove six hours from Ontario, Oregon to be at the summit because he wanted to “get a better look” at what he can do for his community in Malheur County. The Ontario community members in attendance strategized how to ensure their rural communities are represented and understood by state lawmakers.
“It’s important to organize for Food for All [Oregonians] because coming from immigrant parents, some folks feel embarrassed getting food from food pantries and the last thing we need are kids starving, families living paycheck to paycheck and not having enough food for their kids,” Diaz said.
Oregon Food Bank Tillamook Community Organizer, Janet Orozco Ortiz, organized a group of seventeen folks of all ages to attend the summit from Tillamook. For Ortiz it was important to bring individuals from the coast to attend the Food for All Oregonians Summit.
David S. Garcia, Tillamook resident, shared, “It’s important for me to be involved in this huge project because we want to make food accessible for everyone in the community, specifically in Tillamook County where underrepresented communities struggle to access government programs and have access to food resources.”
The summit was filled with inspiring testimonials from Food for All Oregonians coalition members, Darwaish Zakhil of the Afghan Support Network and Yoana Molina of Guerraras Latinas. Both Zakhil and Molina spoke of how in their communities, not having access to food assistance programs has increased food insecurity and how passing Food for All Oregonians will greatly benefit the overall well-being and health for all people in Oregon.
We know that SNAP leads to positive outcomes in homelessness prevention, education and early learning, job retention, health equity and behavioral health. Yet 60,000 Oregonians are denied food assistance due to outdated and xenophobic rules and restrictions.
“It was important for me to come and learn more about Food for All [Oregonians] because food is a human right and everyone should have access to not only good food, but cultural food. My family has experienced food insecurity and I don’t think anyone should experience that and everyone deserves to live well and healthy,” shared Lilia Diaz, Portland resident.
Timothy Herrera drove from Eugene to attend the summit. “I’m here today to support Food for All Oregonians because Oregon has a huge farmworker population and the people who grow our food are largely excluded from SNAP benefits and they face food insecurity, malnutrition and unequal access to food. It’s completely unfair and the summit has been such a great experience connecting with other organizers across the state to build community and it’s encouraging to be a part of this process from the beginning,” Herrera said.
People from all over the state are calling on Governor Kotek to make Food for All Oregonians a priority to ensure that the future of Oregon is fed and healthy. Food is a human right and no one should go hungry. Governor Kotek can change these harmful exclusionary practices by including Food for All Oregonians in her 2025-2027 budget. Contact her today to tell her to prioritize feeding all Oregonians.
