Temporary relief: Celebrating the agreement to reopen the government

January 25, 2019 – Oregon Food Bank and our statewide network of food banks, partners and programs serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington are RELIEVED that President Trump and Congress are reaching a temporary agreement and reopening the government through February 15 – so that hunger doesn’t get worse. The shutdown has highlighted what we have long known: that millions of Americans are literally one paycheck away from needing assistance to make ends meet.

We will continue to serve the 260,000 Oregonians who count on us each month to help them have enough to eat to be healthy and successful. We also know that our effort pales in comparison to the strength and breadth of federal nutrition programs—especially SNAP, or food stamps, which provides food to 615,000 Oregonians (and bolsters our local economies). Food banks simply cannot make up for the loss of SNAP benefits. For every meal provided by the national network of food banks, SNAP provides 12.

Today we are celebrating, but we know this is a temporary victory. We urge the administration to find a way forward that keeps the parts of the government open that are unrelated to border security.