The federal shutdown that left about 90,000 people in Marion and Polk counties who rely on government food assistance without benefits is leading the Salem City Council to consider making a $20,000 donation to Marion Polk Food Share.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a federal program that provides low-income families with monthly benefits to afford healthy food. In Oregon, 54% of SNAP participants are in families with children, 37% are older adults or people with disabilities and 41% are working families.
The suspension of assistance resulted in families scrambling to find food or choosing between paying rent or buying groceries, advocates say…