Oregonians are stepping up.
Uncertainty around the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds for November was alleviated Nov. 7 as Oregonians saw their benefits issued. As of press time, the Trump administration is fighting judicial orders to pay benefits.
In that gulch, long-time food assistance programs are offering hot meals and groceries, while area restaurants and individual people are giving what they can to help.
In late October, food justice organizations and electeds were sounding the alarm on the possibility of delayed SNAP benefits that would leave more than 750,000 Oregonians hungry. Those concerns materialized Nov. 1 as the government withheld SNAP benefits citing the government shutdown.
Ahead of the benefit delays, Gov. Tina Kotek on Oct. 29 declared a 60-day food security emergency and directed $5 million to Oregon’s statewide food bank network. The emergency declaration ensured that Oregon was poised to get SNAP benefits to recipients as quickly as possible, according to the governor’s office.
And it paid off when Oregon Department of Human Services employees worked through the night Nov. 6 to issue SNAP benefits by the next morning, according to a press release from Kotek’s office.
In Multnomah County, roughly 143,000 residents are at risk of hunger due to the funding delays. This includes 38,000 youths and 18,000 seniors, according to a Multnomah County press release.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved $100,000 of funding to assist organizations in food distribution at a Nov. 6 meeting. The funding includes $75,000 for the Oregon Food Bank and an additional $25,000 for county commissioners to distribute to other providers. Commission Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said Multnomah County is joining the legal opposition to Trump’s appeal of the ruling requiring his administration to disperse the funds.
City leaders, meanwhile, have not described any specific actions they are taking to help Portlanders facing hunger.
Two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration is required to fund SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. The White House said it will partially fund the program using emergency reserve funds. But even that half-measure was in question when Trump took to social media to say that the money would only be administered once the “Radical Left Democrats open up government.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt later clarified that the administration planned to follow the court’s ruling.
A Nov. 6 ruling from a Rhode Island federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay November’s SNAP benefits in full, but the government immediately appealed — an effort shot down by an appeals court. At press time, the Trump administration had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.
Meanwhile, specific initiatives coming from city leaders to help Portlanders during the hunger crisis are unclear. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson urged people to “stand together.”
“There is no moment more pressing than now for families at risk of losing access to food. As we face uncertainty around SNAP benefits, I’m calling on all Portlanders to stand together, donate, support, and stay informed. Our community has always risen to meet hardship with compassion, and this is our time to do it again,” Wilson said in a statement to Street Roots.
“Mayor Wilson has directed City staff to prioritize ways we can support our community. In coordination with regional partners, the City is working to ensure that Portlanders have clear pathways to resources, support, and opportunities to help one another,” said Cody Bowman, spokesperson for the mayor.
Taking it upon themselves
An outpouring of short-term solutions were popping up on social media from Portland businesses and residents eager to help.
Local restaurant and business owners such as Grassa, Laughing Planet and Donut Land offered meals for SNAP recipients, or were offering “pay it forward” meals where customers could donate the cost of a meal for another customer. While these free meals may offer a quick fix, they are no replacement for a long-term solution to food insecurity, said AJ McCreary, co-founder and executive director of Equitable Giving Circle.
Meanwhile, organizations like Milk Crate Kitchen and EGC offer more long-standing solutions in addressing food security.
Two of EGC’s mainstay programs are a weekly grocery delivery and a weekly free market offering food and fresh produce to Black, brown and Indigenous people and people of color in Portland.
As more news began to spread about the possibility of delayed SNAP benefits, McCreary said her team’s focus remained on doubling down and assuring that their work is consistent. Amid the influx of local government’s proposed solutions and proliferation of free meals and fundraisers across social media, McCreary said she wants to see elected officials slow down and spend more time learning about food insecurity, food access and food systems.
When it comes to restaurants and local businesses’ quick response to offer free meals, McCreary said she sees their good intention, but also pointed out their unsustainable nature.
“If you want to permanently have something that is free for the community, then you actually need to crunch the numbers and have that as a long-standing, pre-planned-out program for it to make sense and for it to actually work, and be something that is helpful,” McCreary said.
Beyond the moment
Other organizations like Milk Crate Kitchen and Blanchet House offer ready-to-eat meals. Since 2020, Milk Crate Kitchen’s program has offered family meals to those in need, with each meal enough to feed a family of four.
A third steady resource is Stumptown Savings, a newsletter that founder and publisher Bryan Vance describes as a cheat sheet on grocery store prices and deals. The newsletter offers information about food assistance programs and about the farmers who grow the food that ends up in local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. The independent, member-funded news site also covers updates on food industry trends and other economic factors that impact shoppers.
Vance started the project earlier this year after being laid off, as he was navigating making ends meet amid unemployment. He said he wanted to help people avoid the maze of apps and mailing list sign-ups required by various stores to access more affordable food.
While Vance said he was glad to hear about the issuance of November benefits, he said that though the current crisis may feel resolved, another one is coming.
“Even though Oregonians got SNAP benefits for November, half the people in Oregon will be losing their SNAP benefits in the coming months,” Vance said.
For those needing assistance due to the loss of SNAP benefits, Vance encourages people to ask for help.
“Ask your neighbors, ask me, ask anyone that you run into if you need help,” Vance said.
In the meantime, Vance is waiving subscription fees for Stumptown Savings Savers Club for those who need it, in an effort to help people struggling with hunger.
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This article appears in November 11, 2025.