Dear friend,
What Does It Really Mean to End Hunger?
At Lift UP, we've been asking this question with fresh urgency. The answer, we believe, isn't just about filling a pantry or a plate. It's about building a world where people don't have to depend on emergency food but instead can rely on systems that uphold their dignity, support health, and ensure everyone's basic needs are met.
Right now, that vision feels both essential — and under threat.
With major USDA food assistance programs facing significant cutbacks, including reduced TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) allocations, the end of pandemic-era local food purchasing, and the failure of Food for All Oregonians to expand SNAP access statewide, hunger relief organizations like Lift UP are being stretched to meet growing demand. Meanwhile, new proposals in Congress could further impact SNAP benefits, which have already returned to pre-pandemic levels, even as families continue to cope with high food costs.
The result? More neighbors are turning to us for help, many navigating multiple, coinciding challenges.
Hunger doesn't happen in isolation.
It's often the result of compounding barriers: a fixed income that can't keep pace with rent, a chronic health condition that limits access to fresh food, or decades of systemic racism and disinvestment that have left entire communities with fewer resources and fewer choices. Food insecurity is the symptom, not the root.
“It's not just food. It's everything.” Jordan, a Lift UP team member, recently shared a conversation with a senior receiving Delivered Food Boxes:
“Considering how everything is, Lift UP gives a new life to food. It's not just basic canned food . It's uplifting.”
We hear this again and again. Food is not just fuel. It's a reflection of care, stability, and the social contracts that bind us. It's how we show up for one another during hard times.
At one of our supportive housing buildings, a Resident Advocate told us that pantry attendance is increasing not just due to need, but out of fear — fear of changes to immigration policies, rising inflation, and a growing sense of economic insecurity.
“The anxiety is palpable,” he shared. “But your pop-up pantries help people feel a bit more secure.”
And sometimes, food is what helps keep people housed.
Dalia, a 67-year-old neighbor, told us that reliable access to pantry staples helps her stretch her income just far enough to remain in her apartment.
“Without Lift UP,” she said, “I don't know how I'd make it.”
Redefining the End of Hunger
At Lift UP, we're building a more just and resilient model — one rooted in dignity, access, and long-term change.
We're investing in:
Culturally relevant and diet-specific food through our Delivered Food Box Program
Resident-centered pantry sites that meet neighbors where they are, right at home
Farm partnerships that support local food economies and prioritize fresh, nourishing produce
Mutual aid collaborations that amplify community-designed solutions
Rooted partnerships with supportive housing providers, because housing and food security are deeply linked
How You Can Help Grow This Future:
Grow to Donate
Have a home garden, CSA share, or farm plot? Share your bounty! Donated fresh produce brings joy, nutrition, and variety to our pantry tables — and helps our neighbors feel cared for.
Become a Rooted Partner
By becoming a monthly donor to Lift UP, you ensure consistent access to essentials like produce, dairy, and eggs all year long.
Just $35/month = a full grocery bag of fresh food for a neighbor, every month. With 100 monthly donors, we can replace a quarter of the USDA shortfall.
[Become a Rooted Partner Here]
Looking Ahead
Ending hunger isn't a quick fix, and it isn't just about food. It's about tackling the systemic inequities that cause hunger in the first place.
Together, we're not just filling shelves. We're growing a future where food is a right, not a privilege, where no one is left behind, and everyone has the resources they need to thrive.
Thank you for being part of this vision.
Grateful for you,
Stephanie Barr, Executive Director
Food brings us together.
