Jennifer Bullis shops at the Dallas Food Bank with the help of volunteer Peggy Progler in Dallas, Ore., on July 30, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
In late July, just two days before the first of the month, a line of Oregonians stood waiting for free food.
At the Dallas food bank in the Willamette Valley countryside, the hunger crisis gripping Oregon was on full display. Alexis Arechiga, 28, struggles to afford snacks for church and sporting events with her two kids. Corrina Campbell, 32, visits the food bank twice a week, and says feeding her two kids means that on some nights she goes to sleep hungry.
The high cost of groceries and the federal government’s cuts to SNAP benefits have left more Oregonians struggling to afford food. Food assistance programs like food banks are stretched thin trying to meet the growing demand for help.
“Usually it’s pretty full,” said food bank manager Eddie Nelson as she opened a freezer. “But as you can tell our freezers are getting empty.”
In this week’s episode, “Evergreen” producer Mía Estrada and reporter Bryce Dole spend about 24 hours in Dallas. They bring us along for one day at free, local food programs in rural Oregon.
Listen to all episodes of “The Evergreen” podcast here.
