by Lizzie Martinez

Last March 2020, we all watched as events started to get cancelled. At a time when we all thought the closures would be a matter of weeks, we couldn’t have imagined the next year and a half.

Our longtime partner, Feast Portland shut down early last year when it was clear it was not safe to gather because of the pandemic. Along with the personal events like weddings and birthdays and travel, we mourned the loss of city traditions like Feast.

As the pandemic started, we watched the rate of hunger double in the first month, and the restaurant industry be devastated by the closures. As leaders in the anti-hunger movement, we know our partners in the restaurant industry are some of our biggest champions because they share our drive to make sure all of our neighbors in Oregon can put food on the table.

Throughout 2020, we watched many sectors come together to connect families to food–from food banks to mutual aid groups to restaurants. At Hunger-Free Oregon, we have worked tirelessly to strengthen our broken systems so families had access to food during this crisis, especially students out of school.

This year, as vaccination rates rise and we better understand this novel coronavirus, society is beginning to open back up. And Feast Portland is returning in a limited way to celebrate chefs and food in our city.

However, Feast Portland has decided not to partner with Hunger-Free Oregon this year. While we are disappointed by this decision, we understand that partnerships must grow with changing conditions.

For the past ten years, we have enjoyed partnering with Feast Portland. The team at Feast has helped raise more than $325,000 to end child hunger in Oregon. Their generous contributions and access to share our message with a wider audience has had a positive impact on our communities across the state to access food.

We look forward to seeing how Feast Portland’s commitment to ending hunger and to doing good evolves in the next few years. Their partner for this year is Feed the Mass, an excellent example of the restaurant industry rising to meet the challenge of hunger during the pandemic by serving meals to our communities.

If you’re looking for information about Feast tickets or volunteer opportunities, please go directly to their website at www.feastportland.com.

Hunger-Free Oregon remains committed to ending hunger in our state, and ensuring everyone has access to healthy, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food. We look forward to continuing to partner with the restaurant industry to tackle the ongoing crisis of hunger in our state.