When people in my community don’t have access to food, it’s harder for them to provide for their families. It's harder for them to stay healthy and stay happy. I believe that regardless of ‘status,’ people who live here should have access to food. They should have access to SNAP benefits. Food is a human right.
Food is a human right: Join us for Hunger Action Month
Food is a human right: Join us for Hunger Action Month
At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food is a human right. No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, no matter where they were born or their immigration status. Yet, more than 60,000 Oregonians are currently excluded from food assistance and other essential programs. This September is Hunger Action Month — a time when people across the country join together to help end hunger. Food is a human right and we call on you, our community, to take action this month and support Food for All Oregonians.
Why is food a human right?
Food is a human right because we need food to live. Everyone needs food to be healthy and thrive. We all have the right to food that is unrestricted, culturally-relevant, nourishing, dignified and fear-free.
Food is essential for physical health. Without enough nourishing food, people can suffer from malnutrition, weakened immune systems and long-term health issues.
Access to food also affects mental health. The stress and anxiety of not knowing where your next meal will come from can lead to depression and other mental health challenges.
Food is essential to our dignity and emotional well-being. Everyone deserves to live without fear of hunger.
Ensuring everyone is fed and nourished helps build stronger, healthier and more resilient communities.
Food security is closely linked to economic stability. When people have reliable access to food, they can focus on education, work, joy and contributing to their communities.
“Everybody has the right to food, whatever their immigration status. Food is essential; it’s not something ‘extra’ that I need to be successful. Everybody needs access to food.” — Eman Abbas, Oregon Food Bank Ambassador
Understanding food justice
“‘No solutions about us without us’... means that there should be no decisions made about a specific community without the involvement, voice and input from that community. We are the experts in our own lived experience.” — Erica Alexia Ledesma, Coalición Fortaleza Co-Founder
The concept of food justice is based on the idea that food is a basic human right. It's about communities having power over our own food systems, allowing us to make decisions about what we grow, produce, distribute and consume. It means making sure everyone has access to nourishing, affordable food that feels like home. Food justice is about more than food — it’s about fixing unfair systems and ensuring all people can live with dignity. Food justice is rooted in the belief that food is a human right and our systems must reflect this principle.
Making a difference: the Food for All Oregonians campaign
Food for All Oregonians is a community-led effort to ensure that everyone in Oregon has access to the food they need. This campaign addresses the gaps in our current system that leave tens of thousands of people without support. Here’s how:
Making food assistance accessible: Food for All Oregonians aims to create a state-funded program that provides food assistance to all Oregonians, regardless of immigration status. When we recognize food as a human right, we commit to protecting that right for everyone.
Supporting families: Families will receive money through a state-funded program for groceries that match federal SNAP benefits. When we recognize food as a human right, we commit to providing for all families equitably.
Connecting with community: Ensuring that everyone is aware of and can access this vital support through community navigation, offering resources in many languages and more. Through community outreach we can start to break down barriers to finding food, information and other important resources.
“Hunger is immensely solvable if we demand it. If we make sure our elected leaders know that it's a priority. We don't have to live in a world where there's hunger. We don't have to live in a world where there's homelessness. We don't have to live in a world where our kids aren't in safe places when we go to work. We can build these things if we demand them.” — Matt Newell-Ching, Oregon Food Bank Senior Policy Manager
Why this matters
When everyone in our community has access to food, we all benefit. Kids do better in school, families stay healthy and our local economy thrives.
But today, we are facing a hunger crisis that is affecting a record number of people in rural, urban and suburban communities across the state. Last year, we saw 1.9 million visits to food assistance sites through the Oregon Food Bank Network — a 14% increase from the previous year. Direct financial support from our government — such as increased SNAP dollars and stimulus checks — is being eliminated and our communities continue to face the economic fallout of the pandemic, along with the rising cost of food and housing.
How you can help
I've seen what people power can do. And if we can harness the people power of the Oregon Food Bank community, we're going to be able to make the changes we need to uproot hunger. We need you all — whether it be to come work with us, to take action with us, to donate, to volunteer — to really help push this movement to end hunger for good.
There are many ways to get involved this Hunger Action Month:
Pledge to support Food for All Oregonians: Stay updated and take action. By pledging, you share that you believe that food is a human right.
Endorse Food for All Oregonians as an organization: Sign on as an organizational endorser and find ways your organization can take direct action. Organizational support helps amplify the message that food is a human right and vital for our communities.
Attend a Food for All Oregonians event: There are events happening all across the state that build momentum for the movement to end hunger.
Spread the word on social media: Encourage friends and neighbors to sign the Food for All Oregonians Supporter Pledge on social media. Sharing this message reinforces the collective understanding that food is a basic human right.
Host an Food for Action Dinner: Inside the Food for Action Dinner Toolkit, you will find everything you need to host an impactful and easy dinner.
Donate to support a future without hunger: Your gift will connect people with food and build community power.
Volunteer your time: There are opportunities to volunteer in ways that fit with how you want to help — whether that’s packing food at one of our locations, making phone calls from the comfort of your home or advocating at the state Capitol.
Together, we can ensure that food is recognized as a human right and create a more just and equitable food system for all Oregonians. This Hunger Action Month, join us in supporting Food for All Oregonians and advocate for food justice. Because no one should be hungry.
For more information and to get involved, visit Food for All Oregonians.
