Unfortunately, Oregonians have a long history of struggling with food insecurity. In 1999 the state was ranked first in the nation by the USDA for incidents of “outright hunger.” Ten years later, Oregon was still in the top five worst states for food insecurity. In 2018 it saw statewide declines in both food insecurity and very low food security, according to the Oregon Hunger Task Force. But the end of pandemic-era assistance and the abrupt rug pull of federal food aid promises to further reverse that positive trend. Lift UP is one food-assistance organization already feeling the pressure. Founded in 1980, the grassroots initiative focuses on Portland’s downtown core neighborhoods. The organization started out by giving rides to medical appointments, offering cleaning services and delivering food. Quickly, it became clear that food presented the most consistent and growing need. As one of Oregon Food Bank’s 1,400 food- assistance sites, Lift UP adopted the hyper– local mission of reducing hunger in Portland’s Northwest, Southwest, downtown and South Waterfront neighborhoods. It also acts as a food hub, sharing food with partners outside its limited footprint. Lift UP’s small size allows it to connect people with food in personal ways. That approach includes an Adopt a Building program that provides food-security services to 50 affordable-living buildings in the downtown and Northwest Portland neighborhoods. This micro-size, hands-on approach lets Lift UP supply customized food choices that make sense for the individuals it serves. These curated, delivered groceries make a real difference for those with specific dietary coln County services, however, continued to rise. The coastal nonprofit — feeding communities in Newport, Lincoln City, Waldport and beyond — was not an outlier. Food-assistance programs in every corner of the state started feeling the pinch. Elevated grocery prices, coupled with sky-high housing and health care costs, saw more hungry Oregonians seeking post-pandemic food relief. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual household food-security report (released in September 2024) found that food insecurity in the state rose from 9.2% in 2018-2020 to 12% from 2021-2023. In 2024 it smashed yet another record: a whopping 2.5 million visits to food-assistance sites through the Oregon Food Bank network, a 31% increase from the previous year. And now, in 2025, the Oregon Food Bank and its network of food-assistance organizations brace for more — more funding cuts, more need, and a reorganization of SNAP and Medicaid benefits that promises to compound the state’s hunger problem for years to come. With all of this headwind, how can Oregon keep its most vulnerable populations fed? OREGON FOOD BANK was founded in 1982 as Oregon Food Share. The early 1980s were a boon time for food banks around the country as the Reagan Administration systematically shrank the federal safety net, according to Food Bank News. Today there are more than 300 food banks in the U.S. These banks act as a central warehouse, storing and distributing food to frontline organizations in their areas. Today the Oregon Food Bank network includes 21 regional food banks and 1,400 sites where people can access food. The Hunger Games Trump-era cuts promise to wreak havoc on the state’s food pantries and programs just when Oregonians need it most. Oregon food pantries are struggling to meet the demand — but they’re also undeterred. BY AMY MILSHTEIN Food-bank funding from the United States Department of Agriculture has always been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Federal money ebbs and flows fairly reliably, depending on the policy vision of the person in office. For a while, that funding was definitely on the upswing. “During the pandemic, money was practically falling out the sky,” recalls Nancy Mitchell, executive director of Food Share of Lincoln County. That pandemic-era bump of food and funds eventually leveled out or “returned to normal, whatever that is,” as Mitchell puts it. The need for patrons of Food Share of LinNancy Mitchell, executive director, Food Share of Lincoln County JASON E. KAPLAN 31
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