Northeast Portland veterans at the Breitung Building get reliable access to food as New Narrative expands its on-site pantry to help meet growing need.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Food insecurity remains a growing challenge heading into 2026, and one nonprofit in Northeast Portland is working to ease that burden for local veterans.
New Narrative is expanding food supplies at its veterans housing development, the Breitung Building, to help residents access food without having to leave the property. The nonprofit said the goal is to reduce uncertainty for veterans who are already navigating housing instability, limited incomes and benefit changes.
U.S. Air Force veteran Tyree Shaw knows the struggle firsthand. After spending four years living on the streets, he now lives at the Breitung Building, tucked into a quiet Northeast Portland neighborhood. Shaw said hunger is widespread in the surrounding area.
“I bet you right now we could walk a five-block radius and find a dozen hungry people who don’t know where their food is coming from,” Shaw said.
For Shaw, one of the biggest benefits of living at the Breitung Building is not having to ask others for food.
“It’s hard to ask for stuff when you’re in a pinch,” he said. “I’d rather go sneak into a Popeyes dumpster than go ask someone for something to eat.”
The building’s basement food pantry is open to all residents.
Among them is U.S. Army veteran Patsy Payne, who served during the Vietnam war.
Payne said rising food costs have made it nearly impossible to afford certain essentials.
“I have not been able to buy meat in years now,” Payne said.
Payne relies on New Narrative’s pantry for dry goods and uses her SNAP benefits to purchase milk and produce.
She said delays in SNAP benefits during the November government shutdown left her feeling vulnerable.
“I was feeling very threatened because I had so little to begin with,” Payne said.
Kells Perry, peer support director at New Narrative, said it is difficult to watch veterans struggle after serving their country.
“It’s hard to see folks struggle when they’ve given so much to our country and know there aren’t sustainable systems to support them,” Perry said.
New Narrative said rising food insecurity among residents prompted the organization to expand its on-site pantry, with support from local churches and community partners.
Shaw said having access to food inside the building brings peace of mind and dignity.
“Having this here, where the food’s not going to go rotten on the way home, where the cans aren’t broken, where there’s some hygiene, is so much nicer than wondering what am I going to do tomorrow and how I’m going to get dinner,” he said.
Perry said ensuring residents do not go hungry is a top priority.
“I don’t want anyone to go hungry,” Perry said. “If there’s anything we can do to make it feel more like home, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Dining and Cooking