Born in Ontario and raised in nearby Weiser, Idaho, Sylvia knows firsthand what it’s like to face food insecurity. “I have three boys, and there was a year where we just didn’t have anything,” she said. “I couldn’t afford coats for my kids, and I didn’t know where to go for help. It was a humbling experience.”
A friend who worked in community health finally stepped in to connect Sylvia with some local resources, and the experience resonated deeply with her. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, it must feel so good to help people like my friend does,’” Sylvia said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to go into Community Health.”
Sylvia Ixta: Building Healthy Communities in Rural Oregon
Sylvia Ixta: Building Healthy Communities in Rural Oregon
The consequences of food insecurity extend far beyond the table, shaping every aspect of physical and mental health. As a Community Health Worker in Ontario, Oregon, Sylvia Ixta sees these struggles daily. She’s teamed up with the Oregon Food Bank Food Systems Ambassador Program to ensure that no one in her community goes hungry — and that food is available where and when people need it most.
For Sylvia, the cause is personal
Removing one barrier at a time
When patients check in at Valley Family Health Care where Sylvia works, one of the first questions they’re asked is if they face food insecurity. If the answer is yes, Sylvia springs into action, heading to the grocery store for fresh food that she supplements with basic staples from Oregon Food Bank. By the time the patient is done with their visit, the food is ready and waiting for them.
“I can’t fix everything in just one visit, but I can give people the tools they need to improve their circumstances,” Sylvia said. “By removing one barrier at a time, we can start to make a real impact.”
Sylvia also connects patients with much-needed resources like housing assistance, daycare, clothing and transportation. If a patient needs help filling out work or housing applications, she does that too.
Hunger and healthcare are directly connected. Research consistently links inadequate access to nourishing food with a compromised immune system and a greater likelihood of chronic diseases. And the stress of not knowing when or where your next meal will come can trigger mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression.
Food access in rural communities
Food insecurity is a complex problem in rural communities like Ontario, which experiences one of the highest poverty levels in Oregon. Hundreds of people face houselessness, and thousands more of our neighbors lack regular access to nourishing food. Many residents work in seasonal agricultural jobs with long and uncertain hours, which can make accessing food and other resources even more difficult.
“During the harvest, some people start at dawn and don’t get off until eight or nine o’clock in the evening,” Sylvia explained. “By the time they can get to a food pantry, it’s no longer open.”
Social stigma is another issue, as many individuals in rural areas avoid seeking food assistance due to fear of judgment from their neighbors.
“I hear that a lot in my work,” Sylvia said. “Ontario is a small town, and a lot of people are afraid of running into people they know at the local food pantries.”
To overcome these challenges, Sylvia gets creative. Sometimes she’ll go to a food pantry on behalf of a resident and pick up a box for them. For workers with long hours, she’ll deliver the food directly to their homes. Residents can also arrange to pick up food boxes anonymously at Valley Family Health Care.
“They don’t even have to come inside,” she said. “They can call me, and I’ll bring it right outside to their car.”
Most importantly, Sylvia helps people understand that there’s no shame in asking for support. She often accompanies people on their first visit to a food pantry or meal site and walks them through the process. “I remind them that everyone is there for the same reason, and that at some point, everybody needs help — including me.”
A fierce advocate for food equity
As a strong supporter of the Food for All Oregonians campaign, Sylvia firmly believes that no one should be excluded from federal food assistance due to their immigration status. “It makes no sense to me,” she said. “We can offer immigrants medical and dental insurance, but they’re not eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) until they’ve been residents for five years. I understand that everybody deserves access to medical care, but food is the most basic human right there is.”
To lend her support for the cause, Sylvia has written to her state legislators and regularly volunteers at Food for All Oregonians workshops, where she helps educate the community about all the resources that are available to them at the local level.
YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TO ENSURE FOOD FOR ALL OREGONIANS
Creating resilient communities
The way Sylvia sees it, nourishing food is a path to health and healing on every level. “So many patients come in because they don’t feel well, but often their symptoms are just their body’s way of telling them that they’re stressed and hungry,” Sylvia pointed out. “When we can increase someone’s access to healthy food, we can dramatically increase their well-being.”
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Sylvia IxtaI want to help people who need support because I’ve been in their shoes.
