Following the federal government’s announcement that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be distributed in November, NeighborImpact is preparing for a potential surge in hunger across Central Oregon. As the regional food bank serving Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the organization is taking immediate steps to ensure that families, seniors, and individuals do not go without food in the weeks ahead.
“Since 1980, the government has shut down 15 times, but SNAP payments that are essential to feeding American households have never halted,” said Scott Cooper, NeighborImpact Executive Director. “We are in uncharted territory. But food is the most basic need people have. Not responding is not an option. This is precisely why an organization like NeighborImpact exists.”
The Oregon Department of Human Services announced today that 757,000 Oregonians—roughly one in six residents—may lose access to food assistance beginning November 1. In Central Oregon, 23,405 households were receiving SNAP benefits as of Sept. 30. The ripple effects of such a lapse would be profound. SNAP benefits support not only household food security but also local economies, generating between $1.50 and $1.80 in grocery spending for every dollar distributed. A one-month suspension would remove tens of millions of dollars in purchasing power from Oregon’s stores, distributors and farms—especially in rural areas where SNAP participation is highest, resulting in economic disruption as well as loss of essential nutrition resources.
Even before this federal disruption, NeighborImpact’s Food Program was operating under historic strain. Food supply into the regional food bank has fallen approximately 17 percent due in part to the loss of U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation commodities. Other sources of food have also declined amid inflation and supply-chain challenges. At the same time, the number of individual services provided by NeighborImpact’s food bank and partner pantry network has increased more than 250 percent since 2020.
“Food banks are not equipped to deal with increased demand, due to an interruption in SNAP,” Cooper said. “With the pullback in federal commodity distribution that occurred in spring, food banks are already behind the eight ball. NeighborImpact will be able to offset roughly ten percent of the anticipated shortfall, but we will need community support if we hope to address this crisis.”
NeighborImpact has already opened a campaign to raise funds to purchase food to offset the loss of commodities. Donations can be made at www.neighborimpact.org. NeighborImpact is able to stretch every donated dollar through bulk purchasing and statewide partnerships, multiplying its impact for families in need.
As the regional food bank for Central Oregon, NeighborImpact supplies food to 57 partner pantries and 15 mobile pantry sites across the tri-county region. These pantries are embedded in local communities—many in rural areas where transportation and grocery access are limited—and together form a lifeline for thousands of households.
For more information or to donate:
Visit neighborimpact.org/food or call 541-548-2380.
