In 2016, Portland voters passed a $258 million bond to build more affordable housing thanks in large part to the advocacy of the Welcome Home Coalition and other residents. Portland-metro voters followed suit with the passage of a $652.8 million … Read more
In 2021, Ecotrust, Mudbone Grown, Oregon Food Bank, and Zenger Farm formed the BIPOC Farmer Development Coalition. Taking into account the systemic obstacles that BIPOC growers face, the primary focus of the coalition is the development and training of BIPOC … Read more
“Farming in a ‘White Utopia’: BIPOC Farmer Development Coalition Strategic Plan 2022-2024” was presented by Bill Emerson Hunger Fellow Isabelle Sohn as part of the briefing “A Snapshot of Hunger in America” on February 17, 2022. Isabelle was placed with … Read more
“Dream Denied: Portland’s Housing Affordability Crisis, Recent Progress, and What Else Can Still Be Done” was presented by Bill Emerson Hunger Fellow Nitan Shanas as part of the briefing “A Snapshot of Hunger in America” on February 17, 2022. Nitan … Read more
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon was on track to implement legislation that would provide most of the state’s students with free school lunch and breakfast. This report examines the impact of the pandemic on school meal access in Oregon through … Read more
The Welcome Home Coalition envisions a future where everyone has a safe, stable, affordable home and our community takes collective … Read more
Jamila is currently working at the Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness. They are helping build leadership capacity amongst grassroots leaders in congregations across seven states to strengthen the movement infrastructures in their respective and local communities. In addition, … Read more
Hailing from Carthage, Mississippi, Erica graduated from Stanford University in 2017 with a degree in earth systems with a concentration in sustainable food and agriculture and a minor in art practice. She is passionate about issues surrounding food systems including sustainability and food justice. While at Stanford, Erica explored these … Read more
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Jamila graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a combined degree in LGBT studies, Latin American studies, and sociology. While at Berkeley, Jamila proudly served as the co-director for Project Pueblo, an organization that aided local communities in the Bennett Freeze region of the … Read more
A Healthy Summer and Beyond dives into the collective story behind Summer EBT for Children and the 48,000 kids it reached in Oregon last summer. Through in-depth stories of participants, this report shares the story that the numbers missed – … Read more
During college, Miru worked with youth from underserved communities to prepare them for the college admissions process. Afterwards, she lived in Central Asia for eight months interning at a translations agency, and volunteering at a non-profit organization focusing on community based tourism. After living abroad, she decided to pursue her master’s degree … Read more
Amy received her B.A. in global economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. After graduation, she served as an AmeriCorps Farm to School Nutrition Educator and Liaison in six Madison Metropolitan Elementary Schools. She then followed her desire to be more hands-on in the classroom and moved to northwest … Read more
