Salem, Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek has given Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes $1 million in emergency aid to help them deal with the rising food security crisis created by the federal government shutdown. The money, which comes from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), is meant to help Tribal communities keep fulfilling their basic nutritional needs while federal programs face disruptions.
The change comes at a time when there is a lot of uncertainty about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps thousands of Oregon families get food. The Governor’s order is meant to protect disadvantaged households and keep the state’s promise to food security while federal funds are stuck.
“The refusal of the Trump Administration to maintain SNAP benefits during the federal shutdown is creating instability for families and communities that rely on this critical help to buy food,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “We are moving quickly to ensure that Tribal governments and local partners have the resources they need to meet immediate food security needs.”
The Governor also said that the state would give $5 million to the Oregon Food Bank and its network of regional food banks. This is in addition to the $1 million for Oregon’s Tribes. The goal of the combined funding package is to improve local food distribution systems and keep communities that have been hit hardest by the loss of government assistance going.
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The grants will give Tribes the freedom to decide how to best use the money for their communities. The procedure has been made easier so that resources may be delivered as quickly as possible while still being accountable and respecting Tribal sovereignty.
The Governor’s action comes after a series of steps that have been taken to lessen the effects of the shutdown. Recently, Kotek and other political leaders asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release emergency cash to keep SNAP payments running. She also said there was a hunger emergency in the state and gave $5 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) carryover monies to help pay for emergency food boxes.
People who need help getting food can go to needfood.oregon.gov or alimentos.oregon.gov, or they can contact 2-1-1 to find food services near them. SNAP recipients should keep an eye on their EBT card balances, stay up to date through ODHS communication channels, and use the Oregon ONE Mobile app to get the most up-to-date information about their benefits.
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ODHS says that SNAP helps around 18 percent of Oregon households pay for food. This includes families with kids, working individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities. For every dollar in SNAP payments, between $1.50 and $1.80 is spent in the local economy. This adds up to about $1.6 billion to the state’s economy each year.
