by Lizzie Martinez

What are the last three words of the Pledge of Allegiance? 

I’ll wait. 

Remember them yet?  (I had to recite the entire pledge to remember – with my hand on my heart!)

Perhaps you were quicker than I was. The last three words are: Justice For All. 

I recently bought a t-shirt that has this prompt on the front. Upon seeing it, one of my friends responded instantly with the correct answer! A coworker struggled, saying the pledge three times before reaching the end. 

So many of our country’s histories and traditions have witty sayings that we repeat without thinking about them deeply. Justice for All. All men are created equal. In pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. We see them in advertising campaigns, on billboards, and in tv shows. 

Yet each of these has its own history and weight. Our nation’s past has included slavery, theft of land from indigenous populations, and violent wars waged at home and abroad. It has also included ideals of democracy and freedom that we continue to strive toward. 

At Hunger-Free Oregon, we’ve been thinking deeply about what we are in pursuit of. 

This year, we pursued big changes at the legislative level – and won deep and lasting improvements in our school meal system that will result in more hunger-free students and schools. Passing the hunger-free school provisions as part of the Student Success Act was a daunting pursuit, and a victory to celebrate with our partners and allies. But the work is not over. Now, we must take it from the Capitol to the classroom for implementation. 

This fall, we are expanding our initiative to combat hunger on college campuses, taking it statewide. We will be hosting ten listening circles to hear solutions directly from college students. 

And we continue to speak up against federal policies that will penalize Oregonians who participate in SNAP. The latest attack will force people to choose between heat and food – that is a grotesque injustice. And we are mobilizing with partners to stop it. 

So, what are we in pursuit of? 

A Hunger-Free Oregon. 

Hunger-Free Schools. 

Justice for all. 

I’m wondering – what are you in pursuit of these days? 

Whether it’s personal or professional, related to anti-hunger or another worthy issue, I hope you’ll share with us. 

Three easy ways to share:

1. Download this pdf, print it out, and fill in the blank for what you want to pursue! Take a picture of yourself holding it and share it on social media. 
2. Take a screenshot of the image below and post it to your social media with a caption for what you are pursuing
3. Visit our Instagram page (@hunger_free_or) and click on the “highlighted story” at the top of our page to post to your stories! 

Not on social media? No worries–you can e-mail a photo to [email protected] to share it! 

We are all in pursuit of something, every day. I hope you’ll join us this winter during our giving campaign to help create hunger-free schools and campuses, and a hunger-free Oregon. 

Donate Today

(or give through our page on Willamette Week Give!Guide)