Salem food pantries see surge in demand, with more likely ahead
Salem food pantries are expecting “chaos” over the weekend despite a federal judge on Friday ordering the Trump administration to issue food benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
State officials said it’s not clear if or when food benefits could be issued, leaving the 750,000 Oregonians who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program in limbo. The amount of money available in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s emergency funds is only enough to pay partial benefits.
“In general, we are hearing from pantries that they are expecting a large amount of chaos tomorrow. They are worried about it. They are seeing an uptick in their pantry-goers,” said Sam West, spokeswoman for the Marion Polk Food Share, which supplies food to dozens of local pantries. “People are afraid and so they are stocking up, and so that’s what’s driving a lot of panic at the pantries … They’re like, ‘I’ve got to get there before the food is gone.’”
Keizer’s Community Food Bank ran out of food Thursday an hour after opening.
Gov. Tina Kotek is continuing with plans announced Thursday to distribute $5 million to Oregon food banks. That money will go to regional food banks, including the Marion Polk Food Share, governor’s spokesman Lucas Bezerra said Friday.
He said the timing of that distribution and the exact amounts going to each food bank are still being determined, and he expected more details early next week.
“We are still in a hunger emergency. The state must continue its emergency work because the federal government hasn’t given Oregon its money yet,” Kotek said in a statement Friday following the ruling.
The Oregon Department of Human Services will issue benefits “as soon as possible” to recipients’ debit cards once the federal government releases money, agency spokeswoman Sara Campos said. Oregon processes SNAP payments through a company used by about 30 states and is working with it on a plan to get money out quickly, Campos said.
“We know this situation is stressful for families who rely on SNAP. ODHS remains committed to keeping people informed and helping them access food and support during this delay,” Campos said in an email.
About 38,000 families in Marion County and 8,600 in Polk County receive SNAP benefits to help cover the cost of groceries. The program pays about $16 million per month for the two counties, with an average of about $330 per family, according to ODHS data.
West said the food share has food to distribute, and when pantries run out, it means they’re awaiting their next scheduled delivery — not that warehouse shelves are bare. Donations to the food share have increased this week, with many businesses and individuals hosting impromptu food drives.
“We are trying to get food out to people as quickly as we can, especially as it comes in,” she said. “This community has really shown up for us and for each other in a way that has really made me feel less panicked in this moment.”
She said the money from Kotek would also help, but cautioned that food pantries are not set up to replace SNAP. The program provides about nine meals for every one the food share does.
“It is going to be impossible for us to fully address it,” West said.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for over a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
