757,000 Oregonians at risk of losing food assistance in November if funding is withheld

Today, Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon joined 225 organizations across the state in sending an urgent letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Oregon’s Congressional Delegation. Our message is clear: release SNAP contingency funds now to prevent a catastrophic hunger crisis.

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, reports indicate that USDA may run out of funding to issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in November. If this happens, more than 757,000 Oregonians—1 in 6 of our neighbors—will be left without the food assistance they need to survive.

This crisis is preventable.

USDA has approximately $5-6 billion in contingency funds specifically designated for situations like this. The law requires these funds to be released when regular funding runs short. Our coalition of labor, faith, business, and community organizations is demanding that Secretary Rollins use these existing resources and all available authority to ensure no Oregonian goes hungry due to political gridlock.

“Failing to issue November benefits is unacceptable,” our letter states. “Hunger must never be used as a political bargaining chip.”

SNAP is more than a nutrition program—it’s an economic lifeline in every Oregon community. Individuals and families who meet eligibility requirements are legally entitled to these benefits. We’re calling on our leaders to fulfill their legal and moral obligation to protect food security for all Oregonians.

The USDA has the tools and authority to prevent this crisis. Now is the time to use them.

Read the full letter here: https://tinyurl.com/ORSNAPLetter