Zak Mahad is Paying it Forward — and Giving Back — in Ontario, Oregon

Zakariya Mahad's fight for food equity didn’t start in a Zoom meeting or a conference room, but in an Ontario, Oregon boxing ring. One afternoon, Zak was sparring with his buddy at the gym when he spotted a familiar face. It was Eddie Melendrez, an Oregon Food Bank organizer in Ontario who helped Zak’s family when they arrived from Somalia in 2013. Like so many Somali immigrants, they were fleeing the violent civil war that had devastated their country.

“My parents wanted to raise their kids in a safer environment, so they took a chance and immigrated here with me and my nine siblings,” Zak said. “I was only 12 at the time, but I never forgot Eddie and how much he did to help us all get settled.”

A shared vision

After reconnecting, the two realized that they shared a passion for creating community-centered change. Ten years had passed – Zak was now studying engineering at Boise State University, working part-time for the local school district and volunteering with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). Over lunch one day, Zak and Eddie discussed how they could collaborate when Eddie mentioned Oregon Food Bank’s Food Systems Ambassador Program.

This groundbreaking initiative recruits leaders from communities facing the highest rates of hunger to improve access to food and address the root causes of hunger. To Zak, the role felt like a perfect fit.

“There’s a small Somali community here that lacks access to culturally relevant foods,” he explained. “Because I speak their language, I knew I could help connect them to the Halal foods that are such an important part of the Muslim diet.”

Zak began by distributing food boxes to Somali families once a month, but he was always looking for additional ways to expand his outreach. He soon found one at a local church.

Support for single moms

Partnering with Oregon Food Bank, an Ontario church had generously offered space in their freezers to store perishable food items. One day, Zak stopped by to pick up some food for distribution and struck up a conversation with the church’s pastor.

“He told me about a support group for Hispanic single moms that meets at the church, and all the struggles these women were facing,” Zak said. “Like many other immigrants, they faced language barriers and didn’t know how or where to ask for help. And being single mothers, food insecurity was a very real challenge for them.”

Seizing the opportunity to be of service, Zak started organizing deliveries of basic staples like beans and rice for the group, which he enriches with traditional foods from the local Mexican grocery store. He also picks up fresh protein sources like chicken and plenty of milk for the kids.

According to Zak, supporting this special group of moms is just another way he can pay it forward to those who supported his family.

“I’ve been in that situation where you don’t speak the language and you’re not sure what kind of resources are available to you,” he explained. “There were so many people in the community who stepped up to make my family feel welcome, and I just want to return the favor.”

Meeting the most urgent needs

Zak’s latest endeavor makes the most of his connections with the Immigration and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), where he still volunteers, and Oregon Food Bank. Working with representatives from both, he’s helping create an emergency food pantry for single mothers, who face some of the highest rates of hunger in our region. (Others with immediate needs are welcome too.)

“A lot of times, people will sign up for food assistance and be told that they can start the following month,” he pointed out. “That’s great, but if you’re a mom with hungry kids to feed, you can’t wait that long.”

Compounding the issue, many of the mothers Zak works with face additional barriers to accessing food. For example, federal food assistance programs like SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) exclude immigrants and refugees based on their immigration status — leaving many families with no safety net even when they’re trying to feed their kids.

“With the pantry, we can get them the food they need the very same day,” said Zak.

Once the pantry is up and running, it will serve as a much-needed stopgap for immigrants and refugees who often face tough decisions between paying rent and putting food on the table simply because of where they were born. While the pantry will provide immediate relief, Zak’s work also highlights the need to address the deeper root causes of hunger like laws and policies that continue poverty and exclusion.

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Feeding his desire to serve

Zak says he’s grateful for the chance to better his community.

“Ever since I was a kid, I knew that connecting with people was my thing,” he smiled. “I just really like to make people happy, especially if they’re going through a hard time. The way I see it, if I have the ability to help someone, why wouldn’t I?”

Spoken like a true ambassador.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A FOOD SYSTEMS AMBASSADOR