PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Local food pantries are still navigating the surge in demand while SNAP benefits are paused amid the ongoing government shutdown.

The staff at Neighborhood House in Southwest Portland said the number of people they are seeing at their food pantry is on par with COVID times. And they said the need for food help in Southwest is massive. Right now they let people stop in for their shopping style pantry along with food box deliveries. But come December, food security manager Jim Cooper said they are temporarily switching to just food boxes.

“It’s a concern about running out of food, and the consequences of that,” Cooper said. “So we want to make sure that we have some control over the situation. And I think it could easily get out of control, if we just have our front

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