By William Miller (Blackfeet/Cherokee)
Policy Director, National Urban Indian Family Coalition
Food banks have always been a lifeline. Right now, they are carrying more weight than ever. Recent federal policy changes related to food and food access have reinforced an environment in which food banks are having to be extra vigilant to protect the communities they serve. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled $500 million in food purchases for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and ended the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools programs, which helped state, territorial, and Tribal governments buy food from local farmers for food banks, schools, and childcare centers. Together, these cuts pulled roughly $1.5 billion in support away from the programs that keep pantry shelves stocked. This is happening at a time when SNAP benefits are being cut and grocery costs keep rising, pushing more families toward food assistance at the same moment that food recalls, Cyclospora outbreaks, and instances of contamination are creating serious concerns throughout our communities.
“Food access isn’t a talking point for Native people. It’s survival knowledge passed down through generations. When we invest in Native-led food systems, we’re not just filling a gap; we’re restoring something that was systematically and intentionally taken by design,” says Janeen Comenote, Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition.
Not only are we facing food access issues, but food banks can also be easy targets for food producers and distributors looking to offload contaminated products for a quick tax write-off. We believe this practice is shameful, and it hurts the communities that can least afford it.
IN CONVERSATION WITH URBAN NATIVE FOOD LEADERS
Many nonprofits in the National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC) network run food banks that have fed our communities for decades. To help protect urban Native communities, we sat down with two leaders doing this work every day:
● Frances Ruiz, Laguna Pueblo, Director of Operations at the Denver Indian Center. Frances has been serving the urban Native community in Denver with the center since 2017.
● Liana Levay, Anishinaabe Ojibwe, Community Food Coordinator at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), located in Portland, Oregon.
We hope these insights help food banks across the country keep their communities safe and shine a light on why Native food banks matter so much. Our conversation follows:
THE RECENT INCREASE IN FOOD INSECURITY -
Have you seen any changes in how the public thinks about and is engaging with food from the food bank?
Frances Ruiz: “From our experience at Denver Indian Center, we have seen that people are increasingly willing to use food pantry services, particularly as the cost of groceries and other basic necessities continues to put pressure on household budgets. Our goal is to make the experience welcoming and respectful. We want our relatives to feel that accessing food assistance is okay—that there is no shame in accepting support when it is needed. It is about neighbors helping neighbors and making sure our community has access to nutritious food.”
Liana Levay: “We have seen more people accessing the pantry who wouldn't have thought of themselves as food bank households a few years ago, largely driven by the cost of living and inflation. There's also been a shift toward wanting more choice and dignity in the process, rather than a pre-packed box that's always the same items, and more interest in culturally specific or traditional foods rather than generic pantry staples. At the same time, stigma hasn't disappeared entirely, and some community members still hesitate to come or even know how accessible support can be”
“Culturally focused food banks and pantries matter because they're often one of the few places where food, culture, and trust intersect for our community.” - Liana Levay
WHY NATIVE FOOD BANKS ARE SO IMPORTANT -
Why do Native food banks matter so much to their communities?
Ruiz: “We believe food assistance is one of the most immediate and meaningful ways to care for our community. When families do not have to worry about where their next meal will come from, they are better able to focus on their children, their health, employment, and their future. That is why Native food banks and pantries remain such an essential part of strengthening and supporting our communities.”
Why are Native communities potentially more vulnerable than other populations who use food banks?
Ruiz: “Native communities often face challenges that can make food insecurity especially difficult, including limited access to affordable groceries, transportation barriers, and economic hardships that have affected families for generations. These challenges can be even greater for elders, families with children, and individuals living on fixed or limited incomes.”
Levay points out the added barriers, such as, “historical/intergenerational food insecurity tied to loss of land and traditional food systems, which can make the need more acute and long-standing than in other populations.”
What are some of the ways in which Native food pantries uniquely serve their communities?
Levay: “A few reasons why the Native American population can be more vulnerable than other food bank users involves the importance of first foods, established trust and being culturally responsive. She continues:
● First Foods: Traditional and first foods (salmon, roots, berries, game) carry cultural and spiritual significance beyond nutrition. When these aren't accessible, it's not just a dietary gap, it's a disconnection from culture and identity.
● Established trust: Native communities have a long history of mistreatment by mainstream institutions, so pantries run by and for Native people build a level of trust that outside organizations often can't. That trust means people are more likely to actually come in and accept help.
● Culturally responsive: Food needs to reflect our community's preferences, traditions, and health needs (many Native communities face higher rates of diabetes and other diet-related conditions), so a one-size-fits-all pantry model doesn't serve our people well.
“Through an Indigenous lens, food sovereignty and food safety are deeply connected. It takes partnerships grounded in trust and consistency to safely serve our community, and we do that by grounding our approach in traditional teachings while adapting modern food safety practices in ways our community can recognize and embrace.” - Liana Levay
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR NATIVE FOOD BANKS
Where can food banks find alerts on current and future contamination?
Ruiz: “Food banks can track current and upcoming food contamination risks through several centralized government platforms and industry alert networks.
Levay: “The main sources we rely on are the [Food and Drug Administration] Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts page, which also have an email subscription alert system. We also use USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service's Active Alerts page for meat, poultry, and egg product recalls. We also use alerts passed down through food bank network partners like Oregon Food Bank or Feeding America, who often flag issues to partner agencies directly before they hit the news.”
What can food banks do to make sure their produce is as safe as possible?
Ruiz:
● Track the source: Write down the name of the farm or store that donated the food. Keep a record of the date it arrived.
● Record batch numbers: Keep notes on box labels. This helps trace items fast if a safety warning or recall happens.
● Check truck temperatures: Make sure delivery trucks stay cold during the drive. Do not accept food from a warm truck.
● Check incoming food: Look at all fruits and vegetables right when they arrive. Throw away items that look rotten, smell bad, or show mold.
● Add clear dates: Put a label on repacked bags with the date the food was sorted.
● Use FIFO rules: Follow the "First In, First Out" rule. Give out older produce before newer items, so nothing rots on the shelf.
● Keep it cold: Store items like berries and leafy greens in a cool fridge right away. Most fresh produce needs a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
● Keep surfaces clean: Wash tables, knives, and bins often with hot water and soap. Sanitize them with safe cleaners to kill hidden germs.
● Train staff and volunteers: Teach everyone to wash their hands often and wear clean gloves. Workers must stay home if they feel sick.
● Separate raw and ready foods: Keep raw vegetables away from meat and fish. This stops juices from moving to items people eat raw.
● Inspect before giving out: Do one last check of the bags right before they go to families. Throw away anything that went bad while in storage.
● Write storage tips: Add a short note on packages telling people to wash the food before eating. Tell them to keep it in the fridge.
Levay: “One of the main practices we utilize is working through vetted, established grocery partners, such as the ones we are in relationship with through the Fresh Alliance program at Oregon Food Bank, rather than accepting donations from unknown sources whenever possible.”
When it comes to produce, what should food banks generally watch out for?
Levay: “Cross-contamination is a major concern, which means staying current on recall alerts (from sources like the FDA and USDA), inspecting produce for damage or spoilage before it goes out, and being careful about how different donated items are stored and handled together so that a problem with one item doesn't spread to others. Recalls have been increasing lately, so checking these regularly (rather than only when something is already in the news) matters more than it used to.”
Ruiz: “When it comes to fresh produce, one of the biggest things food pantries need to watch is quality, safety, and whether the food can realistically be distributed before it spoils. For the Denver Indian Center, a smaller donation of good-quality produce, that we can distribute quickly, is often more beneficial than a large donation that may result in significant waste. We want to make sure donated food reaches our relatives while it is still fresh, nutritious, and useful.
Fresh produce can be especially challenging because of its short shelf life. We need to pay attention to:
● Freshness and quality: Check for bruising, mold, spoilage, or produce that is already past its usable life.
● Food safety: Proper handling, storage, temperature control, and cleanliness are important, particularly with cut or prepared produce.
● Quantity: Large donations are appreciated, but we have to consider how much our community can use before it goes bad.
● Storage capacity: Refrigerated and dry storage space can be limited, so donations need to be manageable for the pantry.
● Seasonality: Seasonal produce can be a great resource, but the pantry needs to know what is coming and when so we can plan distribution.
● Accessibility for families: We want to prioritize produce that families can realistically use and prepare, while also considering the needs of elders and households with limited cooking resources.”
THE ETHICS OF FOOD DONATION
Sometimes companies try to offload their contaminated food to food banks. Why is this a problem?
Levay: “Donating food that's unsafe or expired isn't a solution to reducing waste, it just shifts risk onto communities that are already vulnerable, and it undermines the trust people place in our community by the food they receive from us. The Oregon Food Bank has consistently supported us through their standard programming, supplying food to our pantry, and they are extremely thorough and reliable when it comes to food safety procedures. The concern is with food that comes outside of that kind of vetted relationship.”
Ruiz: “At Denver Indian Center, our message to companies is simple: please do not donate food that you know or suspect is contaminated, unsafe, or otherwise unfit for human consumption.
“Food donations are an important part of supporting our community, and we truly appreciate businesses that want to help. However, food assistance should never mean that people receive food that others would not be willing to eat themselves.
“When potentially contaminated produce is donated, it creates serious concerns about food safety and the health of the people we serve.”
“Our families, elders, children, and community members deserve the same quality and safety standards as anyone purchasing food at a grocery store. A food pantry should not be treated as a place to dispose of food that is unsafe or potentially harmful.” - Frances Ruiz
What does that mean for pantries on the receiving end?
Ruiz continues: “We also have a responsibility to our community to inspect donations and make difficult decisions about what can and cannot be distributed. This can create additional costs, labor, and food waste when unsafe products have to be discarded.
“We encourage companies that want to donate to communicate openly with the food pantry about the condition, quantity, storage history, and expiration or use-by information of the food before making a donation. If there is a known contamination issue or a reasonable concern that the food is unsafe, it should not be offered for distribution.
“We welcome partnerships with businesses that genuinely want to support our community.”
About the author
William “Will” Miller (Blackfeet/Cherokee) is the Policy Director at the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, where he leads national policy and advocacy efforts for urban Native communities nationwide. Residing in Oregon, he has spent his career working at the intersection of public, community leadership, and civic engagement.
About Denver Indian Center
The Denver Indian Center is a nonprofit organization and cultural gathering place for Denver's American Indian & Alaska Native community. It serves as a vital gathering place for Native people from hundreds of tribal Nations by providing resources, programs, and support that strengthen culture, build opportunity, and foster belonging across generations.
For more visit: https://www.denverindiancenter.org
About the Native American Youth and Family Center
Founded by the community, for the community, NAYA is a regional center out of Portland Oregon supporting Native resilience and self-determination. NAYA wraps community in culturally specific programs, stewards generational impacts, amplifies community victories, and shares a culture of reciprocity. Together, NAYA and the community support healing historical traumas, restoring balance to our lives, and achieving thriving Indigenous futures.
For more, visit: https://nayapdx.org
About the National Urban Indian Family Coalition
The NUIFC is a national, membership-based nonprofit that includes over 50 urban Native nonprofits in 40 cities across 23 states. The NUIFC's mission is to elevate a national voice for American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban communities and to sustain Indigenous values and culture through a strong network of urban Indian organizations. NUIFC advocates for thriving urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities by elevating, funding, and amplifying the strong work of the nonprofits that serve them. For more, visit: https://www.nuifc.org