From Ontario to Tillamook: Policy Leadership Council Members David and Andrea on a hunger-free future

The Oregon Food Bank Policy Leadership Council 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 16 members draws on their lived experience with food insecurity and systemic injustice to help us address hunger at its roots.

We sat down with two council members, David Soria Garcia from Tillamook and Andrea Cisneros from Ontario, to hear their vision for a hunger-free Oregon.

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

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

ANDREA: I was born in Mexico. When I came to the United States, I felt like my life got ripped from me. I remember leaving, waving goodbye to my family from the back of the truck. I remember thinking, I don’t know if I’m ever going to see them again. I’m thankful that I’m here, but it was hard to come from a different country – to learn a different language and a completely different world.

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!

ANDREA: Ontario is a small town on the border of Oregon and Idaho. It’s about 50% Hispanic, but we don’t see Hispanic people involved in politics. I think people feel scared. They feel like they don’t have rights. That could have been me. That was my family — living in fear, not able to stand up for themselves, not being able to have a voice. Those are my people, and they need somebody in their corner.

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.

ANDREA: I’m excited about the immigration justice pillar of our work. I’ve been the most happy to be involved in Food for All Oregonians. That bill is going to be passed. No matter what, we’re going to fight until it passes.

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

ANDREA: People expect immigrants to be superhuman. They expect them to work themselves to death to be deserving of some dignity. But they’re human. I think people don’t realize that hard work is not the sole ingredient for “success” — much of it is luck, the resources you were born into.

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