Illustration of a person eating a mealOverview

The Coalition was established in 2010 with the support of the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners.  The Coalition addresses the root causes of food insecurity through policy discussions and outreach, elevating families’ voices, and coordinating efforts of our nonprofit and multi-jurisdictional Coalition partners. Our co-chairs are Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Multnomah County Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH).

Mission

A collective voice to increase food security for families navigating poverty focused on communities of color in Multnomah County.  

Guiding Principles

  • We hold communities of color, Indigenous and Black people at the front of our work.
  • Food insecurity is a symptom of inequities and racism in our society.  This is reflected in racial disparities in employment, housing, criminal justice, health outcomes, and education.
  • We elevate the voices of families as they share their lived experiences.
  • We engage the community with local policies related to the root causes of hunger.  

Coalition Partners

211info, American Heart Association, Boys & Girls Club of Portland Metro Area, CareOregon, Grow Portland, Growing Gardens, Home Forward, Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization, Latino Network, Meals on Wheels People, Metropolitan Family Service, Mudbone Grown, Multnomah County SNAP Outreach, Multnomah County Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH), Oregon Food Bank, Oregon State University Extension SNAP-Ed, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Portland Food Project, Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Free for All, Trimet, Zenger Farms, and Multnomah County school districts

2019-20 Meeting Notes

 November 13, 2019 (594.35 KB)

 September 27, 2018 (648.66 KB)

2018-19 Meeting Notes

November 29, 2018

 January 23, 2019 (595.64 KB)

 March 21, 2019 (586.67 KB)

 May 22, 2019 (1.43 MB)

Get involved with the Child & Family Food Security Coalition!  

Meetings occur every other month during the year, excluding summer months, which is less than 10 hours per year.  The Coalition has a few workgroups if you’re interested and able to commit to an additional 4-5 hours per year.

Coalition partners are:

  • Committed to solutions of the causes of hunger or food insecurity

  • Dedicated to addressing racial disparities in our community

  • Community members, nonprofit staff, interns or volunteers, local government or school district staff

Contact

For more information about the Child & Family Food Security Coalition please contact annie.kirschner@multco.us


Definitions

Communities of color: Blacks, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinx, Indigenous peoples, and immigrants and refugees, including African immigrants, Slavic, and Russian speaking communities, and people from the Middle East.  (Adapted from Metro, “Strategic plan to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion”)

Food insecurity: A lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life (U.S. Department of Agriculture).  

Food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources for food for the household (Feeding America).