PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside a Northwest Portland food pantry, volunteers try to keep up with the growing demand as thousands of Oregonians lose food stamp benefits.
“It feels like it is just a slow-motion disaster,” said Graham Craft, executive director of William Temple House. “We’ve been setting records and breaking them and setting new records. … There’s just a huge sense of anxiety around where they are going to get food from.”
In January, new federal work requirements took effect. To get benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, most recipients must log at least 80 hours a month of approved work, including paid jobs or volunteering…