Goal 1:
Food Security & Nutrition
THe rising tide
Outcome 1.1
Increase Food Security
Rates Across Portland Metro
Outcome 1.2
Improve Food Access Across Portland Metro, Centering Client-Requested Offerings
Outcome 1.3
Improve Nutrition and Food Education for Vulnerable Community Members
State of the Landscape
18%
Percent of Multnomah County Residents receive SNAP Benefits
When SNAP benefits are reduced or delayed, the ripple effects are immediate, impacting recipients as well as food pantries and meal sites.
1 in 7
Multnomah County residents is food-insecure.
Black and Native American Oregonians are disproportionately food-insecure.
81.9k
Estimated Multnomah Country Residents eligible for SNAP
SNAP and other direct assistance programs provide on-the-ground support to neighbors while supporting the regional economy when these funds are spend at local grocers and farmer's markets.
9.5 Million
Dollars cut in 2025 for SNAP nutrition education.
Nutrition education impacts lifelong health outcomes. Without federal support, it falls upon community organizations to pick up the slack.
When Hunger Hits Home
As the cost of living rises, many Portland residents are stretching limited resources to meet essential needs, including for food, medicine, rent, utilities, and childcare.
CAFE members serve diverse demographics, including families, seniors, people with disabilities, BIPOC neighbors, students, and the unhoused. Our programs range from grocery deliveries to pop-up markets, culturally-specific pantries, cooking classes, and the food rescue and recovery work that makes it all possible. Our differences become our greatest collective strength when we pool resources and collaborate with one another.
From Struggle to Strength
Data collected by CAFE member Neighborhood House for their 2024 Community Needs Assessment revealed that more than 24,000 children in Multnomah County don't have enough to eat.
Food and educational support from Neighborhood House was essential to helping community members Staci* and Jordan* get back on track. Neighborhood House helped with meal deliveries and provided access to the Neighborhood House Food Pantry while Staci finished her studies to become a medical billing specialist and Jordan was in the third grade.
"I want to be sustainable for myself and my family. But, seeing, needing, and getting those resources when I needed them - I can see what a blessing that was," said Staci. Jordan is now in seventh grade and involved in school, band, and sports. “She is thriving, and I know in my heart our family’s future changed because of the programs that helped us during the lowest time of our lives."
A Growing Gap between Costs and Supports
We all feel the strain of rising grocery costs, and this impact is especially hard on many of our senior neighbors, who have seen Social Security benefits lag behind inflation since 2020. For many seniors, accessible food services are essential for maintaining good health and stable housing.
Keeping Dignity, and Dinner, Within Reach
Steven* is a resident at Gretchen Kafoury Commons, an affordable housing community in the heart of Portland. He receives a monthly grocery delivery from Lift UP and shared the challenge of meeting his food needs due to age-related health conditions and rising prices. "My heart failure makes it hard for me to get out to the food banks like I used to," he shared, "If it wasn’t for Lift UP, I wouldn’t be able to get the food I need to get through every month. I only make $200 more than my rent and I spend more money on food than I receive in food stamps. Lift UP makes it possible for me to get by."
CAFE members are committed to building a Portland where all of our neighbors have access to food that is nourishing, accessible, and plentiful.
* Client names changed for confidentiality.