Oregon Hunger Facts

Hunger Fact #1

The rising cost of food and housing makes it harder for individuals and families to get the food they need in Oregon, Southwest Washington and across the country. Last year, we saw 2.5 million visits to food assistance sites through the Oregon Food Bank Network — a 31% increase from the previous year. This is a record number of visits.

Hunger Fact #2

The Oregon Food Bank Network is made up of 21 regional food banks partnering with more than 1,200 free food markets, pantries, meal sites and delivery programs. Our strength is this Network, which sourced and distributed over 91 million meals worth of food (nearly 110 million pounds) last year — emphasizing fresh produce, dairy, protein and pantry staples. Many locations are shopping-style markets that allow families to select food that matches cultural and dietary needs.

Hunger Fact #3

Food insecurity disproportionately affects specific communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington, regardless of geography. Historic inequities and systemic exclusions have created a current reality where Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color, immigrants and refugees, single moms and caregivers, and trans and gender expansive communities are two to three times more likely to face hunger and poverty in our region. By addressing these disparities we can ensure everyone in our state has access to the essential resources we need to thrive.

Hunger Fact #4

Today, 1 in 8 people and 1 in 6 kids in Oregon and Southwest Washington face food insecurity — from Ontario to Portland to Clark County. This means many of us don’t know where our next meal will come from. Rising costs of food and housing, combined with systems that keep people in poverty, are forcing families to make impossible decisions between putting a roof over their heads and putting food on the table. We are in an ongoing hunger crisis and it is not slowing down.

Hunger Fact #5

We can’t end hunger with food alone. Hunger is tied to other issues like poverty, low wages, unaffordable housing and healthcare. We can create real change through advocacy and organizing:

• Advocacy means working to change laws and policies for a better future.

• Organizing means coming together to create change in our communities.

At Oregon Food Bank, we bring people together to push for lasting solutions — like affordable housing, childcare and healthcare — and we lead Food for All Oregonians, a coalition that envisions an Oregon where all people have access to food, including immigrants and refugees. Thousands of community members regularly demand change — and our advocacy makes a difference: in the past year, 1,100+ people and 80+ events drove action to advance anti-hunger policy and systems change.

Hunger Fact #6

People with lived experience of hunger help lead the work to end it. Oregon Food Bank’s work is guided by people who know hunger firsthand. Seventy seven percent of Oregon Food Bank staff have lived experience of hunger and its root causes and community leadership takes many forms — from shaping local programs to influencing policy decisions. For example, our Policy Leadership Council, made up of community leaders from across Oregon, helps guide which policies we focus on. This ensures the people most affected are at the center of creating lasting solutions.

Hunger Fact #7

Our communities have also struggled through the effects of natural disasters and climate change. Emergencies like wildfires, flooding and ice storms force thousands of our neighbors to leave their homes, shelter in place or lose access to safe food or water each year. The impacts are often felt long after. As part of state disaster response efforts, the Oregon Food Bank Network is always ready to respond with water, food and other critical supplies through crisis.

Hunger Fact #8

Food banks can stretch a dollar much further than any of us can as individual consumers. The Oregon Food Bank Network partners directly with local farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and grocers to source and distribute food by the truckload. For every $10 donated, our Network can support the community with as many as 30 meals — and support our local economy in the process.

Hunger Fact #9

Because the Oregon Food Bank Network distributes food to over 1,200 food assistance programs throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, donations stay local to help end hunger and its root causes in the communities we serve. Last year nearly 35,000 donors gave to help end hunger — with the most common gift of $25 given over 15,000 times.

Hunger Fact #10

Food justice means recognizing food as a basic human right. It’s about giving communities the power to decide how we grow, produce, share and eat food. At Oregon Food Bank, we center food justice by focusing on equity, decolonization and systemic change. We know that our network can serve everyone in line at a meal site or pantry today — but if we don’t address big issues like poverty and affordable housing those lines will still be there tomorrow. That’s why we’re committed to tackling the root causes of hunger so we can create lasting change. Together, we can ensure everyone has enough to eat today and end hunger for good… because no one should be hungry.

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, know that help is available and that all are welcome — no matter where we were born, the identities we hold or the color of our skin. Visit OregonFoodFinder.org to find free food markets, pantries and meal sites near you.