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From Experience to Action: Jim’s Journey with Food Insecurity

“Caring for one another is at the heart of who we are.”

Written by Jim Cooper

I decided a long time ago that chasing money and prestige was not for me. Part of that choice came from the food insecurity I experienced growing up and my desire to help others avoid it. 

For much of my childhood, my family received “food stamps,” booklets filled with what looked a lot like Monopoly money that we would present at the Fred Meyer check stand. My dad was so ashamed, he wouldn’t even go in the store, sending us kids in to shop while he waited in the car. My mom, on the other hand, became an adept navigator.

I learned that, even in the best of times, systems designed to help the disadvantaged are often more like a labyrinth; some are able to find their way through the maze, but many are left behind.

That’s what led me to the nonprofit world, and to Neighborhood House, where we work every day to lower barriers for people who just need food on the table. I’m especially grateful that part of my job includes lowering barriers for those needing a hand up.

But it hasn’t always been easy.

 

With recent cuts to SNAP and other programs designed to lift people from poverty, our Free Food Market has seen an alarming rise in demand.

This year alone, we’ve served an average of 2,500 people every month, a 40% increase over last year. We have seen a large, rapid surge in market usage, and it’s continuing to grow at an alarming rate.

At the same time, resources are shrinking. The Oregon Food Bank, one of our most important partners, has also faced deep funding cuts, leaving organizations like ours struggling for grants to meet growing demand.

At this point it might seem easy to give up.

But we are just beginning.

Through the Coalition to Advance Food Equity, we’re partnering with others to create long-term solutions. And soon, we’ll move into a new, much larger space on Barbur Boulevard with more storage, a better shopping experience, and room to serve the expected influx of more neighbors in need.

We continue to be inspired every day by the compassion of our community—donors and volunteers who show what generosity really looks like. In a time when kindness can feel in short supply, you remind us that caring for one another is still at the heart of who we are.

It is increasingly up to those with courage to stand up for others by modeling the power of selfless acts in an increasingly selfish world.

When I look back on my mom’s efforts to keep our family fed, I recognize her stoic heroism. I see it reflected in those in the front lines of this work: volunteers, donors, staff, and the neighbors we walk alongside.

Thank you for walking with us.

Best regards, Jim Cooper

 

I started using the Free Food Market. I learned about more programs that could help us. But the biggest change wasn’t the services themselves.

It was how I was treated. 

For the first time in my entire life, I was met with dignity. 

I wasn’t talked down to. I wasn’t made to feel ashamed for needing help. I wasn’t forced to “prove” I deserved to survive. At Neighborhood House, people spoke to me with genuine respect, something I have so often not been given, simply due to my circumstances. That changed everything. Even now, it still brings tears to my eyes. 

When you’re disabled, when you’re parenting alone, when you’re just trying to get through the day without falling apart…asking for help is hard. Being treated with kindness backed by action? It’s life-changing. 

That kindness empowered me. 
I joined the Head Start Policy Council. 
I became involved in statewide advocacy work. 
And eventually, when someone asked if I would consider joining the Neighborhood House Board, I said yes. 

Being on the board fills a need I’ve carried my whole life: the deep need to give back. There is so little any one person can do alone. But when we connect, when we come together as a community, everything becomes possible. 

People sometimes ask me why services like Neighborhood House still matter. 

My answer is simple: 

Because income inequality is growing. 
Because our systems do not prioritize people in poverty. 
Because without places like Neighborhood House, people really would go hungry. Children would go without resources necessary to thrive. Housing insecure families would be turned out into the streets. 
And that is simply not acceptable.

Until we change the systems that create these conditions in the first place, we need community-based organizations that keep people alive, keep families housed, and treat every neighbor with dignity.

And there’s one more thing I want you to know:

No one chooses this. 

Everyone is doing the best they can. 
Sometimes people just need a little boost.

When you donate or volunteer at Neighborhood House, it is truly life changing. You may never meet every person you help—but please know there are so many of us who feel overwhelmed with gratitude because these services exist.

I am one of them.

So today, as we close out the year, I’m asking you to help more neighbors like me.

Here’s how you can help right now: 

  • Make a gift today — your support goes directly to families who need it most.
  • Start a food dr​ive — our Food Security Program is a lifeline and always needs support. 
  • Share my letter with a friend who believes in a more just and caring community.

Thank you for believing in this work.

Thank you for believing in people like me. 

With gratitude,

Love 
Board Member & Program Participant 
Neighborhood House 

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