NeighborImpact applauds the State of Oregon for its bold and decisive action to ensure full November SNAP benefits for Oregon families. Acting overnight on the authority of a federal court order, Oregon submitted and secured full federal funding, redeploying benefits to recipients’ cards by Friday morning. Thousands of Central Oregon families awoke today to find their grocery budgets restored.
“This is a tremendous relief for the 750,000 Oregonians who depend on SNAP to eat,” said Scott Cooper, Executive Director of NeighborImpact. “We commend state officials for moving with speed and courage to avert a deepening hunger crisis.”
NeighborImpact extends heartfelt thanks to its food bank staff, partner pantries, donors, and funders who mobilized on short notice to meet urgent community needs. In the past week alone, the agency coordinated emergency food distributions, deployed grocery vouchers to SNAP-eligible Head Start families, and raised funds to keep shelves stocked should another gap occur.
While the immediate crisis has been averted, Cooper noted that uncertainty remains. Until the federal government reopens, there is no guarantee that December SNAP benefits—or other federal safety-net programs—will be funded. The ongoing shutdown is already disrupting a wide web of supports for low-income families. NeighborImpact will continue to support families through its regional food bank, Head Start, and energy-assistance programs as the shutdown persists. But not every organization has the resources to sustain services during a prolonged shutdown, and the future of many essential programs remains at risk.
Even with this reprieve, deeper threats to food security remain. “H.R. 1 proposes a 20 percent reduction in overall SNAP participation over the next decade,” Cooper said. “Unless that framework changes, millions of people will gradually be removed from the program—and food banks will again be called upon to fill the gap. We can’t let that happen quietly.”
In the meantime, the need for food assistance remains at record levels. “Pantries across Central Oregon have reported a 50 percent increase in visits over the past two weeks,” said Carly Sanders, NeighborImpact’s Food Bank Director. “Our network will need to work hard in the coming months to refill empty shelves and keep food flowing as we enter the busiest season of the year.”
As the food bank network continues that work, NeighborImpact remains focused on both immediate response and long-term recovery.
“This is a day to celebrate, but not to stand down,” said Cooper. “SNAP covers only part of a family’s monthly nutrition needs, and the larger risks facing low-income Oregonians are far from resolved. NeighborImpact will keep working—supporting people and strengthening communities no matter what comes next.”
