Salem, Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek has instructed Oregon what to do next at the end of a 60-day hunger emergency. State leaders are warning that thousands of families are still struggling with food insecurity. State officials believe that the emergency showed weaknesses in the food assistance system that are still affecting families all around Oregon, even if federal SNAP payments have been restored.
The hunger emergency was declared because the federal government shut down and delayed SNAP reimbursements for Oregonians who depend on the program to buy food. During that time, the state acted rapidly to make sure that families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and working families could still have food. A coordinated response from several agencies was put in place to maintain food supplies and make sure that communities got emergency help while federal benefits were not available.
Oregon gave $5 million to the Oregon Food Bank and its network of local pantries, as well as $1 million to the nine federally recognized tribes in the state as part of that initiative. Those investments helped get millions of pounds of food to people when they needed it most. Oregon was one of the first states to send out the delayed benefits when a federal court restored SNAP funding. On November 7, recipients got full payouts after state agencies planned ahead.
State officials believe the response showed how important it is to work together early on, have solid ties with local governments, tribes, and community groups, and talk to the public clearly. Tools like statewide maps of food options and close collaboration with 211info helped individuals get food swiftly and fairly during the disruption.
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Even while those things worked, the food chain continues to be under a lot of pressure. Federal food supplies through The Emergency Food Assistance Program are still coming in at lower levels, so food banks have less than half of what they usually do. At the same time, proposed changes to federal policy and new administrative requirements might make it harder to get SNAP benefits. Reports of EBT card skimming have also gone up, which puts benefits at danger even after they are given out.
In response, Governor Kotek is urging the legislature to put money into protections for Oregon’s food aid programs. One of her ideas is to pay for the switch to chip-enabled EBT cards to cut down on fraud and keep SNAP availability by helping the state achieve federal standards while causing the least harm to recipients.
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The governor also wants Oregonians to stay involved. During the emergency, people gave food, volunteered, and helped with relief efforts by working with nonprofit groups. State leaders are asking people to keep giving money and time to food banks and local pantries. They are also reminding people who need aid that there are state and community services that can help them.
SNAP remains a key part of food security in Oregon, helping more than one in six residents and creating a lot of jobs around the state. Officials in Oregon said that what they learned from the hunger disaster will help them protect access to food and being ready for future problems.
