Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon

Mission

At Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, we believe everyone has the right to be free from hunger. We work alongside those most impacted by hunger and make lasting systemic change through transformative policies and removing barriers to accessing resources. 

You can fuel our current statewide initiatives:

• - Fighting for free, nourishing school meals for every K-12 student
• - Eliminating immigration status as a barrier to food access
• - Meeting basic needs on public college and university campuses

Bottom Line for Portland

With your help, Oregon could become the next state with free school meals for all. As of this fall, we're 94% of the way there. But without a statewide program, there are so many ways a student can fall through the cracks: paperwork issues, employment changes, meal debt, and even stigma.

In Oregon, hunger isn’t just a statistic; it's a devastating fact of everyday life for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors. And it’s on the rise. Today, 1 in 8 Oregonians – and 1 in 6 Oregon children – face hunger.

School for Meals for All allows us to imagine a future where every child in Oregon confidently knows where their next meal is coming from. For decades, we've been paving the way for that future. With a strong track record of securing wins like Summer EBT, the Student Success Act, and Breakfast After the Bell, we're ready to cross the School Meals for All finish line in the 2025 Legislative Session–but we need your support to make it happen. Together, let's nourish the future of Oregon. 

Quote

“When my mom saw on the news that my school was going to have free meals, she got to quit her second job. She drove me to my first day of 2nd grade this year and she’s been able to be home for dinner every night since school started.”  – A 9-year-old Portland Public Schools student at a back-to-school fair this summer

“I would watch a whole class come down for breakfast together or a whole class line up for lunch, and it literally brought me to tears… This was worlds apart from my own childhood being one of a handful of students getting school meals because we qualified for free meals. This made me feel isolated from my friends… I stopped eating breakfast/lunch most days so that I wouldn’t feel the stigma." – A food service employee in Colorado, where universal school meals were instated in 2023 (quote provided by FRAC)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Hunger in Oregon disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color (BIPOC); immigrant and refugee communities; people with disabilities; trans and gender-expansive individuals; and single-parent families. To truly end hunger, we have to address the oppressive systems that create inequitable access to food in the first place. Today, every project we launch prioritizes the dismantling of these systems and centers the voices of those who have been impacted by hunger and poverty. 

Incentives

Stay tuned to learn more about how you can win prizes from local businesses like: 

Indigenize, Portland Pickles, Stumptown, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Katie Kulla, Bag&Baggage Productions, Shane Reaney Studios, Symbiop, and Outpatch!

Partner(s)

Thank you to all of our partners!

New Seasons Market

Beneficial State Bank

Untapped Trivia (join us for trivia hosted by local drag artists from November 10-16!) 

Farmers Market Fund and the Oregon Food Bank

Dove Vivi Pizza, HOTLIPS Pizza, Atlas Pizza, Rovente Pizzeria, and Scottie’s Pizza Parlor