PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits being set to end Nov. 1, leaving hundreds of thousands of Oregonians hungry, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state food emergency on Wednesday night.
The emergency is set to last 60 days and is directing $5 million to Oregon’s statewide food bank network.
“It’s unacceptable that families are being used as leverage in a political standoff in Washington, D.C.,” Governor Kotek said. “While the Republican-controlled Congress fails to do its job, Oregon will do ours. We stand up for each other, whether it’s fires, floods, or any other crisis. I call on all Oregonians to do what they can to help their neighbors,” Kotek said…