ABout NUtrition INSIDE
Nutrition INSIDE is a youth-led project of Growing Gardens dedicated to improving food equity for incarcerated individuals across Oregon. Our mission is to ensure that all individuals inside and out, have access to nourishing food – with the long-term goal of confronting the deeply rooted norm in the United States that allows the incarcerated to be treated as second-class citizens. By partnering with farms, grocery stores, and food recovery organizations, we aim to bridge the gap between surplus food and the immediate needs of correctional facilities. While advocating for systemic change, we focus on meeting the urgent nutritional needs of incarcerated individuals today, ensuring everyone—regardless of their circumstances—has access to wholesome, nourishing food.
What we learned
During the summer of 2024, we visited six prisons and spoke with 50 adults in custody to better understand the extent of food insecurity within these walls. The findings were both sobering and urgent: 47 of the 50 individuals surveyed reported experiencing food insecurity. Their words reveal the depth of this crisis:
These testimonies lay bare an unacceptable reality. They remind us that the issue isn’t just about food—it’s about the fundamental right to nourishment, dignity, and humanity.
- “We hardly ever see anything fresh.”
- “I skip a meal every day because I don’t trust what’s in it.”
- “I experience hunger every day.”
- “I wouldn’t feed my animals the food we get served here.”
These testimonies lay bare an unacceptable reality. They remind us that the issue isn’t just about food—it’s about the fundamental right to nourishment, dignity, and humanity.
Our Partners
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Nutrition INSIDE
3114 SE 50th Ave
Portland, OR 97206
971.258.0267
3114 SE 50th Ave
Portland, OR 97206
971.258.0267