As Federal Support Falters, Portland-Area Grocers Pitch In to Help Avert Hunger Crisis

With the federal government fluctuating between threatening to only partially fund November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or not funding them at all, many Portlanders who already struggle with rising grocery costs are panicking about how they’ll afford to feed their families this fall.

The turmoil has sent a shockwave through the state, prompting Gov. Tina Kotek to declare a state of food emergency in late October and direct $5 million in aid to the Oregon Food Bank network.

But that stopgap funding is landing in a system already under immense strain. Local food banks and aid providers are describing the situation as a "crisis," according to reports from KATU News. Organizations like Blanchet House have seen a surge in demand, and food banks across the metro area are seeing for an unprecedented number of people seeking assistance.

As state officials and nonprofits work to manage the immediate fallout, Portland’s grocery retailers — from local markets to national chains — are implementing varied strategies to help bridge the gap.

For some, the current SNAP emergency is not a new problem, but a breaking point.

“This is, unfortunately, the really awful icing on a terrible cake,” said Dewey Weddington, VP of Marketing for Oregon-based Market of Choice. He notes that the crisis has been growing for months as other federal food subsidies to food banks have been reduced or eliminated entirely. “It was really just another awful step in a process that is removing the support for our communities.”

In response, Market of Choice made an immediate $50,000 cash in fusion directly to its longstanding partners — $20,000 each to Oregon Food Bank and Food for Lane County, and 

$10,000 to Access in Southern Oregon. Weddington says their partners advised that cash is the most effective tool right now — something organizations like the Oregon Food Bank have been saying more prominently in the past week.

“They have their network of ways that they can purchase,” he explained. “They can do more with the money than we can. ”The company is also installing food donation bins in all stores and running promotions like a “10 for $10” sale this weekend to help customers’ dollars go further, whether for their own pantries or for donations.

Other regional grocers are also leaning on a partnership model. A spokesperson for New Seasons Market confirmed the company is "pivoting the vast majority of our giving toward hunger relief," focusing funds on nonprofits that can distribute food quickly. Citing its 16-year partnership with the Farmers Market Fund to expand the Double Up Food Bucks program and its daily "Grocery Recovery Program" — a gleaning system that provides edible, non-sellable food to local nonprofits — New Seasons is leveraging its established systems to meet the moment. To improve access, it has also expanded SNAP use for online orders through Instacart and DoorDash.

Meanwhile, some stores are creating new, direct-to-consumer interventions. Fubonn Shopping Center, an 82nd avenue international grocer, has collaborated with the Oregon Food Bank to offer a dollar-for-dollar match for fresh produce. When customers use their Oregon Trail card at Fubonn, they receive a coupon, valued up to $20, for a future purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fubonn CEO Michael Liu said over the phone Tuesday, this is part of a broader mission to fight food insecurity and position the grocer as an affordable option for everyday essentials

“I think we can really be a good option for a lot of people, not only during this time period but just in general,” Liu said.

National chains are activating their corporate-scale programs. Albertsons/Safeway is "accelerating the distribution of $13 million in annual holiday gift cards to community food banks" across the country through its Nourishing Neighbors program, according to spokesperson Jill McGinnis. Locally, a pin-pad fundraising campaign is currently active in Oregon stores, with all funds raised being converted into gift cards for local food pantries.

The diverse tactics — from Market of Choice’s direct cash infusions and New Seasons’ systemic nonprofit support, to Fubonn’s direct produce-matching and Albertsons/Safeway’s national fundraising — illustrate a multi-layered business response to a deepening food security crisis. But as Weddington notes, the need is unlikely to fade quickly.

“This is probably in my lifetime, the greatest moment of need to support our neighbors,” he said. “We just each have to do what we can.”

WinCo, Kroger, and its subsidiaries Fred Meyer and QFC did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

Happy saving!
Bryan,
Founder/Publisher,
Stumptown Savings