October 21, 2026
Oregon Food Bank
Krina Turner
At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food is a basic human right for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of barriers to employment, education, housing and health care. That’s why we work systemically in our mission to end hunger in Oregon: we foster community connections to help people access nutritious food today and we build community power to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good.
Every year a cohort of 15 Food Ambassadors participate in intercultural exchange, program development and implementation, and local and statewide networking. Support from OFB for participants includes financial incentives and community grant funds, 1:1 support, group training regarding hunger relief programs, farm & garden projects, leadership development, community fundraising, and civic engagement activities.
Thank you for your $20,000 gift in 2025 in support of our annual fund and Food Ambassador Program. Your support was put to use right away as we’re responding to a prolonged spike in hunger. In just two years, visits to the Oregon Food Bank Network rose 51%, reaching a record 2.9 million visits last year. The rising costs of food, rent, and housing continue to put pressure on families across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Two years ago, visits jumped 31%, and last year rose another 15%, driving this historic increase in need.
In response, the Oregon Food Bank Network distributed over 98 million meals last year. The Network is made up of 21 regional food banks partnering with more than 1,200 free food markets, pantries, meal sites, and delivery programs. Together, we sourced and distributed 117 million pounds of food, prioritizing 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.
Today, 1 in 6 people and 1 in 5 kids in Oregon and Southwest Washington face food insecurity, from Ontario to Portland to Clark County. Hunger isn’t just about individual choices — it happens because of policies and systems that make it harder for some people to get by. Too many of us are just one unexpected cost — health care, rent or childcare — away from falling into food insecurity. We are in an ongoing hunger crisis and it is not slowing down. Your partnership is making a difference as we work to end hunger and its root causes.
One of our Food Ambassadors is Johnny Bradford who is part of On the Move Ministries with Jesus Outreach that runs a food distribution program serving African American communities, wildfire impacted communities, and an open-to-the-pubic food distribution in the Gateway neighborhood. They partner with a Somali led organization in office space rental and youth and family engagement activities. Food distributions are in the planning phase and year to date Oregon Food Bank has invested $45,000 for food, supporting his annual backpack giveaway event, which draws more than 500 people, and building his grant-writing skills. Oregon Food Bank is also helping him establish a permanent food pantry at Mallory Street Church, which will give families in the neighborhood access to fresh groceries. He hopes to become an official Oregon Food Bank partner in the future, which would expand his access to fresh and culturally appropriate foods for the communities he serves. Learn more about Johnny Bradford: oregonfoodbank.org/posts/on-the-move-how-elder-johnny-bradford-expands-food-access-across-oregon
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