Representatives from the Oregon Food Bank and local community food providers reported a significant and sustained rise in demand tied to the November SNAP disruption and longer-term economic pressures.

Matt Newell Ching, policy lead at the Oregon Food Bank, said the statewide network (21 regional banks and about 1,200 community agencies) saw visits increase roughly 50% over two years and that food‑bank capacity is far smaller than SNAP in scale: "for every one meal the nation's network provides, SNAP provides nine," he said to illustrate the difference. He said Oregon Food Bank ordered 80 truckloads (roughly 2.6 million meals) using state resources and made about $2.3 million available for local food purchases across the network. Newell Ching emphasized that $5 million in emergency state aid is small relative to the typical monthly SNAP allotment and that charities can relieve but not replace SNAP.

Local providers described what that pressure looked like on the ground. Faris Kujancic (Urban Cleaners) said their free food markets saw a 20–50% participation increase during the disruption and remain 10–15% above normal after benefits were restored. Lori Gerard (Klamath Lake County Food Bank) reported 11,300 more individuals served July–September compared with 2024 and said the county used its full allocation of state emergency funds to buy food locally to replenish shelves quickly. Celeste Roman (Clackamas Service Center) said the center is on track to distribute about 1.6 million pounds of food this year and had already experienced a 60% increase in demand in the six months leading up to November, warning that charities are not equipped to absorb a long-term reduction in SNAP.

Speakers repeatedly linked hunger to broader economic pressures—higher food and housing costs—and urged legislators to consider policy solutions that preserve or strengthen SNAP while supporting local resilience. Providers asked for clarity on how emergency funds are being spent and for continued coordination with ODHS on reporting and deployment of state resources.