A new bill proposed in the Oregon Legislature, Food for All Oregonians, would bring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits to more people currently left out. Senate Bill 611 would provide access to the federal program for people 25 or younger and 55 or older who are currently excluded due to immigration, refugee or documentation status. This comes as the need for assistance continues to surge at the Oregon Food Bank, or OFB, which cannot keep up with demand, according to OFB president Andrea Williams.
At a press conference on the steps of the state Capitol Jan. 27, Williams addressed the state of hunger in Oregon and the work OFB is doing to address it.
“Hunger is at its worst state since the Great Depression … In the last year, 2.5 million Oregonians came to food assistance sites. That’s a 31% increase from the previous year,” Williams said. “We can’t keep up with demand and don’t have the funds to meet ever-increasing need to address food insecurity.”
Sen. Wlnvsey Campos is the chief sponsor of Senate Bill 611, which 18 other Democrat legislators have signed on to co-sponsor. Another co-sponsor, Republican Rep. Mark Owens, indicates some bipartisan support.
David Soria Garcia, a community activist from Tillamook, also discussed the bill’s significance at the press conference and in an interview with Street Roots.
“This bill’s bipartisan support shows that Oregon is ready to set the example. Oregon has the resources, the compassion and the opportunity to lead the country in its protection of immigrant rights,” Garcia said.
“Food alone can not solve hunger. We must also address the root causes of hunger: systems and policies that keep people from having access to resources that they need.”
— Andrea Williams, President of Oregon Food Bank
Andrea Vanessa Castillo, Oregon Latino Health Coalition policy and advocacy manager, outlined that expanding SNAP could increase access to culturally specific food.
“Not being able to access culturally specific foods at a pantry or qualifying for SNAP is often a barrier for working and low-income families to be well fed, especially during the food crisis. Dollars in our pockets through programs like SNAP allow us to buy food that feels like home and that our communities find nourishment and joy in cooking and eating,” Castillo said.
Advocates for the bill see this as just a piece of the mission to end food insecurity.
“Food alone can not solve hunger,” Williams said. “We must also address the root causes of hunger: systems and policies that keep people from having access to resources that they need.”
Advocates hope that Senate Bill 611 will help advance broader efforts to secure more rights for immigrants and refugees in the state. It follows the Drivers License for All bill passed in 2020, which allowed all Oregonians to get a driver’s license. Healthier Oregon passed in 2022, which allowed all Oregonians to qualify for state health insurance, regardless of immigration or documentation status.
Other ambitions for ending hunger in Oregon include providing free meals to students across the state regardless of income or immigration status and expanding Food for All Oregonians to include all ages. Senate Bill 611’s current age limitations come after a similar bill failed in the state house in 2023 due to budgetary concerns. Sen. Campos hopes that limiting the number of people who qualify for the program will make it easier for the budget proposal to pass.
“With uncertainty on a federal level, the state legislature serves as a backstop to protect our people,” Campos said at the press conference.
In an interview with Street Roots, Campos further positioned Senate Bill 611 within the larger context of immigration policy protections.
“Immigrants and undocumented people are feeling fear and going into the shadows,” Campos said. “This bill is messaging as one small thing we’re doing to reassure folks that we are ready to fight for them.”
As for the future of OFB, Williams sees them continuing to play an important role.
“Our doors are open to everyone, and we want to do more than just serving food,” Williams said.
In addition to addressing families’ immediate need for food, food banks distribute fresh food close to its expiration date, which would otherwise be sent to landfills. OFB partners with grocery stores for what Williams calls “food rescue” — distributing that fresh food to those who need it instead. To meet the present demand, OFB is also buying food to an extent that isn’t sustainable, Williams said.
OFB’s Policy Leadership Council, or PLC, comprises advocates from across the state, including those with lived experience of food insecurity, who work to advance equity in food access. Garcia is a member of the PLC and sees it playing an active role in the future of immigration rights in Oregon beyond the issue of food insecurity.
“Food insecurity is just a symptom” of more significant inequalities, Garcia said.
Systemic issues still need to be fixed, according to Garcia.
“Housing, immigrant rights, worker rights — so much going on and injustices that immigrant communities experience,” Garcia said. “We sometimes prioritize what is important in this moment, like food insecurity, but still many systematic issues that we need to fix in order for our communities to thrive with dignity. The Oregon Food Bank will play a role even if Food For All Oregonians does pass.”
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This article appears in February 12, 2025.