Purpose

The Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force created a strategic plan – Act to End Hunger to provide a focus and guide to help eliminate hunger in Oregon.

Description

The Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force (OHTF) established a strategic plan – Act to End Hunger to serve as a vehicle to make hunger in Oregon central to a wide range of public policy debates and decisions.  The plan was inspired by interest evident at the Governor’s 2003 Hunger Summit.  Previously, hunger was focused on as an issue during the gubernatorial election and addressed through Talking Points About Hunger by groups during the campaign period.

The Oregon Legislature passed legislation in 1989, which created OHTF to act as a resource within government and as a statewide advocate for Oregonians who are hungry or at risk of hunger.  The Task Force membership includes representatives from the Oregon Legislature, state government, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and the client community.

Act to End Hunger was drafted by the Task Force with assistance of a writer hired with funds provided by the Interagency Coordinating Council on Hunger.  The document was circulated for comments and suggestions from groups and individuals across the state, including 1,400 subscribers to the Advocacy Alert newsletter.  A representative from the Governor’s office served on the HRTF review committee.  The Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium (WRAHC) and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) were also involved in development of the plan as part of the team that reviewed drafts and commented on content and purpose.

This strategic planning process was conducted over a 6-month period beginning in October 2003 and the plan was officially released in April 2004.  The document was accompanied by a list of recommended actions outlining 40 Ways in 5 Years to Make a Difference through a series of goals for the four priority areas that emerged as priorities:

• Family Economic Stability
  • Develop living wage opportunities for Oregonians
  • Strengthen family stability with programs that offset living expenses
  • Revamp the tax and lending systems to protect low wage workers
  • Create an adequate safety net for those unable to work
• Community Food Security
  • Develop and support a sustainable regional food system through community-based solutions, with statewide coordination
  • Support local farmers and improve the nutrition of Oregonians
• Federal Food Programs
  • Increase participation in underutilized federal food programs
  • Reduce barriers to participation in federal food programs
  • Improve and invest in programs at the federal level
• Emergency Food Services
  • Increase the capacity of Oregon Food Bank’s Statewide Network

11 Actions were identified as First Year priority items (2004-2005) and were published for dissemination through an Executive Summary.  A “menu” was included to help groups from various sectors answer the question, “What can we do to eliminate hunger?”  This echoed the sentiment that “hunger is an issue for every one of us” as voiced by the Governor in an Op Ed article after the 2003 Hunger Summit.

Teams were formed after the plan was released to develop work plans for each of the 11 First Year Actions.  The work plans were then presented during October Harvest Week.  Several of the Action items were chosen by the Governor to be promoted during Harvest Week.  Additionally, the Governor agreed to sign an Executive Order creating a Statewide Food Policy Council as soon as funding for a staff person is in hand.  Advocates are working on a funding proposal.

An updated Executive Summary has been published every two years to reflect Two-Year Accomplishments and Next Steps:

• Executive Summary May 2008 
• Executive Summary April 2006                   

OHTF’s website includes Legislative Updates with “Action needed” items highlighted in RED.

Legislative priorities are adopted by OHTF on an annual basis, such as these for the past two years:

• 2009 Legislative Agenda 
• 2008 Legislative Agenda

The first Legislative Agenda (2005) featured many items from the First Year Actions, as well as other issues in addition to those in the plan or from others in the overall 5-year plan:

• Family Economic Stability 
  • Create a Low-Income Renters Tax Credit (Action 4)
  • Expand the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit (Action 12)
  • Increase Educational Opportunities for Low-Income Families
  • Establish the Parents as Scholars (PaS) Program (Action 2 modeled on PaS offered in Maine to allow parents on TANF to pursue the education necessary to secure higher paying jobs)
  • Strengthen Rules on Payday Loans (additional action)
  • Maintain and Strengthen Safety Net Programs
• Community Food Security
  • Expand WIC Farmers' Market Coupons
• Federal & Emergency Food Programs
  • Expand Summer Food Service Program Support
  • Protect Funds for Oregon Food Bank Statewide Network

OHTF publishes the Advocacy Alert on a monthly basis that can be received free through email.  A Legislative Action Center is also maintained by the Oregon Food Bank. 

Outcomes

2008 Legislative Accomplishments included:

• Family Economic Stability
  • SB 1073 - Preserve existing subsidized affordable housing and support strategies to end homelessness
  • SB 1090 - Establish fair and affordable standards for home mortgage loans to lower income families
  • Simplify and extend health insurance programs for children
• Community Food Security
  • HB 3601 - Promote Farm-To-School Programs in Oregon 
• Federal Food Programs
  • Food Stamp Bonus Allocation

Accomplishments during the initial Legislative Sessions (2005) are outlined under each of the four primary focus areas.  Planned Next Steps are also shown for each goal under the respective focus area:

• Family Economic Stability
• Community Food Security
• Federal Food Programs
• Emergency Food Programs

Five out of ten legislative priorities were acted on in 2005 by the State Legislature to expand programs that feed low-income children and families:

• SB 467 that provides $150,000 to increase summer lunch reimbursement levels by adding 5 cents per meal to encourage greater participation by schools and other organizations
• SB 289 that provides $49,000 for purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables by WIC participants at farmers’ markets
• SB 31 that includes provisions to make the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable and increase the credit from 5% to 6% in 2008.
• An increase of over $33 million in the Oregon Opportunity Grant program, allowing all low-income students to receive assistance and expanding the availability to part-time students
• Maintenance of the funds for the Oregon Food Bank with a cost-of-living increase.

A bill was also introduced in the State Legislature to expand the work of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Hunger.  SB 1048 would establish the Ending Homelessness Advisory Council to supersede the Interagency Coordinating Council on Hunger.  Proposed responsibilities of the Council include:

• Receiving recommendations of the Hunger Relief Task Force
• Ensuring that food and nutrition programs and programs for the homeless operate efficiently and effectively
• Monitoring federal programs
• Encouraging coordination of state and local programs and of public and private organizations engaged in antipoverty programs with special emphasis on food distribution programs and programs for the homeless

Although this bill did not pass, the Governor's office is looking at expanding the ICCH without legislation.

Previously, the Oregon Food Bank forwarded a letter to the Governor in March 2004 to highlight results supporting anti-hunger efforts in response to the 2003 Hunger Summit and subsequent public appeals.  Items featured include:

• Special donations and fundraising activities by businesses, community organizations, and individuals
• Increased corporate partnerships and involvement
• Increased coordination and involvement with the faith-based community
• Passage of WIC & Senior Farmers’ Market bills and the Parents as Scholars bill
• Increased overall public awareness and support