We need your support this Give!Guide season

It is a truly sobering day.

Starting today, due to the compounding chaos of the government shutdown and a presidential directive, tens of millions of people across the U.S. are expected to not receive this month’s benefits for SNAP, our country’s primary food assistance program.

It is a cruel policy choice with devastating effects.  In Oregon, more than 750,000 of our friends and neighbors rely on SNAP. Over half are in households with children. Even with Friday’s rulings directing the USDA to fund November benefits, a disruption is unavoidable, leaving far too many families in a lurch.

Today is also the first day of the Give!Guide, Willamette Week’s annual year-end fundraising campaign. Today, I am humbly and urgently asking you to support Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon in this critical moment. 

GIVE TODAY

This August, I was honored to join PHFO, which has, for almost 20 years, worked alongside community members, advocates, social service providers, state agencies and elected officials to address the root causes of hunger and build a state where no one goes hungry.

Right now, ensuring every person in Oregon has enough to eat has never been more critical. 

Our team at PHFO has been all hands on deck to keep food-insecure communities informed and supported through the SNAP cuts and November benefit freeze. Over the past two weeks, we have: 

• Partnered with the Oregon Hunger Task Force and Oregon Food Bank to condemn the SNAP November disruption due to the government shutdown,
  
• Communicated the deep and urgent impacts of the SNAP freeze to decision makers at every level, including joining with 225 organizations to call on the USDA to fund SNAP benefits in November,
  
• Coordinated 100 organizations statewide through the Save Oregon SNAP coalition to blunt the harm of federal decisions and advocate for Oregon-specific solutions, and
  
• Informed communities, partners, and the public about the changes coming to SNAP and where to find food resources in Oregon. 

In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to show up and speak out for Oregonians – and we need your help. 

Your support helps us speak loudly, forcefully, and urgently in moments like this. You power our advocacy campaigns so that kids across the state get food benefits over the summer and college students can access food on campus. You can help us ensure that in 2026 ALL public schools in Oregon offer free school meals to students. When you support PHFO, you not only help people access food assistance — you help transform our food system so no one goes hungry in Oregon.

GIVE NOW

Now more than ever, we believe that a hunger-free Oregon is possible. With the support of our communities and people like you, we will keep fighting for it every day. Thank you for all you do in supporting our work and mission.

In gratitude and solidarity,

Allie Yee
Interim Executive Director

Plus, when you make a donation of $10 or more on Big Give Days, you’ll be entered into a chance to win exciting prizes. From now till December 31, check out the Big Give Days and Give!Guide perks that make supporting your community both meaningful and fun this giving season.

Thank you to Metro for helping sponsor our end of year campaign!