Food bank leaders said urgent requests for help have slowed since the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was restored, but the holiday season remains a busy time when they serve more families.
Staci Wadley, director of Shasta County’s food bank, said in an emergency, they'll give out bags of food in their lobby. Between the SNAP delay and the federal government shutdown this fall, that happened a lot.
"On a typical basis, we normally give out maybe five bags a day over the counter," she said. "We went from five bags a day to 30 bags a day. And our phone calls went from 70 phone calls a week to 299 phone calls a week."
Wadley said they’ve also seen a gradual increase in need due to food prices increasing over the past couple of years and federal funding cuts in the spring.
She said many people calling the food bank have never needed food assistance before.
"A lot of them resisted coming in because they're like, 'Well, that's not me.' or 'I don't qualify.' But you do qualify. You qualify right then," she said. "Take your turn. Give back later, and take your turn now. Don't be afraid to come in and get help when you need it because that's why food banks are there."
Oregon residents looking for help can find nearby organizations through the Oregon Food Bank network, and California residents can search the California Association of Food Banks.
Val Gordon, program manager for the UCAN Food Bank in Douglas County, said the community has helped them a lot.
"We have been getting food in from the generosity of people that have given us money or grants or food from food drives. That has kind of become a little bit of a cushion for us," she said. "My goal is to make sure that none of our pantries have empty shelves."
Gordon said in November, more than 30 locations across Douglas County held food drives.
Food bank directors recommend people who want to help volunteer at local organizations or donate food or money.
