Dear Kerns Neighborhood,
It’s been a long, and at times challenging year for Oregon Food Bank — so long that I can’t even believe Giving Tuesday is right around the corner again!
Hunger is on the rise in Oregon, so this day of philanthropy from our community comes at a critical time. Please consider giving as generously as you can. It makes all the difference for children and families across our region who don’t know where their next meal may come from.
From the outset of this year, political disagreements put the most vulnerable among us at risk. As our network has responded to a 31% increase in visits to our food sites, policy choices have resulted in 20% cuts to our federal food support. Starting in the spring, Oregon Food Bank was hit with the loss of more than 90 truckloads of USDA food — enough food to feed thousands of Oregonians each month.
This Giving Tuesday, Oregonians will respond to heartless policy choices to take care of each other, like we always do. We’ll respond with truckloads of support, truckloads of nourishment and truckloads of care.
We’re already responding to the hunger crisis in Oregon while scaling up operations to help cover the gaps left by federal SNAP funding delays in November. This crisis is years in the making, fueled by federal actions that put politics over people. This isn’t new, and it’s only getting worse. Over the summer, Congress approved devastating federal cuts to SNAP benefits, as well as other social safety net programs that will have ripple effects over the next decade.
Hunger is a policy choice and this Giving Tuesday, we can respond with a choice of our own. We can help bring nourishing food to those who need it now. We can fight back to dismantle the broken systems that keep so many from meeting their most basic needs.
Your investment in this movement is more critical than ever. Please consider making a gift this Giving Tuesday.
With gratitude,
Andrea Williams
President
