A newly released documentary, A Place at the Table, examines hunger, its root causes and long-term effects. This compelling film explores the issue through the lens of three people: a single mom struggling to put food on the table, a young girl who cannot concentrate in school, and a food insecure child who gains weight by eating cheap, empty calories. View the trailer

The Hollywood Theater in Portland will be showing A Place at the Table starting Friday, March 15th at 7:20pm. Join Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Farmers Ending Hunger, Oregon Food Bank, and Bread for the World for the premiere on Friday, and stay for a conversation afterwards. Tickets on sale now.

A Place at the Table is an excellent way to open the conversation about hunger. Learn more about how to host a screening in your community and ways you can help end hunger in Oregon.

Don't forget to join us at Pacific Pie Co. any time today (March 12th) and the restaurant will donate a portion of proceeds to Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon!

Located at 1520 SE Seventh Ave. in Portland, Pacific Pie Co. specializes in handmade pot pies, pasties and sweet pies that use the best local and organic ingredients.

This week the House Human Services and Housing Committee will hold a public hearing on the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on Wed., March 13th at 3:00pm in Hearing Room D.

The same committee will hold a hearing on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) on March 20th at 3pm. Join us for a workshop on TANF directly after the hearing in Room 350 of the capitol building. Email Jessica to RSVP.

 

Visit our website to learn about these and other priority items to end hunger in Oregon during the 2013 legislative session. 

Do you have a couple hours to spare? We're looking for volunteers to help stuff envelopes for a big mailing. It's a small task with a big sense of accomplishment! We'll be stuffing from 10am to 12pm on Thursday, March 21. If you're interested, email Annie or call 503-595-5501, ext. 309, by Monday, March 18. Thanks for your help!

To help mark National School Breakfast Week, Deloitte LLP partnered with Share Our Strength to release a report on the social impact of ending childhood hunger. Among the findings: "School breakfast can have far-reaching impacts on student health, academic achievement, and economic prospects." Full report available online.

We are delighted with the addition of three new PHFO Board members: Jaime Arredondo, Priscilla Lewis and Suzanne Feeney. We have been highlighting a different board member in each newsletter. In this issue, we feature Priscilla Lewis.

Priscilla Lewis, executive director for Community Services & Development at Providence Health and Services, has committed her life to working in health care and improving the health of her community. As a single parent determined to make a difference, she put herself through nursing school at University of Virginia. She went on to obtain an MBA at West Virginia University as a member of the first class of women at the formerly all-male university. In 1984, she was one of the three people who started a free clinic in Morgantown, W.Va., which continues to see patients.   

As a single parent, Priscilla understands the challenges of raising children and knows that all successes are attributed to the help of others. Along those lines, Priscilla says hospitals can prevent societal problems that result in illness if they work in collaboration with others. For example, Oregon currently has the highest percentage of hungry children in the country. "This is an example of a serious issue that can only be addressed collaboratively," she says. For several years, Priscilla has worked with PHFO to raise funds for the Summer Food Service program, providing meals and snacks to kids living in communities across Oregon. 

Asked what motivates her to serve, Priscilla says, "I have four wonderful kids, ages 14 to 32, and two equally wonderful dogs, who all keep me grounded. I've been blessed with perseverance and the benefit of seeing what can happen if you just plant those seeds."