Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Food banks, diaper and hygiene programs urge county to sustain growing demand after SNAP reductions
Summary
Harvesters, Canby's Market, Giving the Basics, HappyBottoms and similar providers told Jackson County legislators that recent federal SNAP changes and rising need are increasing pressure on local food and hygiene programs and requested continued county support.
Multiple food‑security and basic‑needs providers told the Budget Committee that demand has risen and that local county funding remains critical.
Elizabeth Keever (Harvesters, S17) said Harvesters distributed more than 20 million pounds of food in Jackson County last year and requested continuation of county investment to purchase and distribute food. Canby's Market (Casey Claps, S53) described a retail model that rescues fresh edible food and sells it at reduced prices in small locally owned stores; the group requested approximately $128,000 to professionalize accounting and bookkeeping infrastructure.
Giving the Basics (Chandra Goble, S29) described operating a hygiene hub that supplies monthly products to 193 Jackson County schools serving more than 73,000 students; the organization requested $60,000. HappyBottoms (Elizabeth Mayer, S54) said it has distributed diapers to more than 12,000 families year‑to‑date across a multijurisdiction area and said 4,800 of those families live in Jackson County. Presenters tied increased demand to recent SNAP policy changes and urged continued county support to avoid service gaps.
Speakers (attributions in this article): Elizabeth Keever (Harvesters); Casey Claps (Canby's Market); Chandra Goble (Giving the Basics); Elizabeth Mayer (HappyBottoms).
