Pictured Right: A food service provider location in Northeast Portland.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were not be issued in Oregon November 1st as a result of the federal government shutdown. In addition, changes to eligibility, work requirements and benefit levels also began for some people November 1st.

Due to this, Multnomah County has gone into a partial emergency activation. Multnomah County residents who are able are encouraged to support local community partners such as the Oregon Food Bank, through volunteering or donations. A list of food assistance programs and opportunities to support these providers are listed on Multnomah County's website.

In addition, Some restaurants and coffee shops are offering free meals for people who normally receive SNAP. Here is a list compiled by The Oregonian. These resources have not been verified by the County and may change.

For SNAP-specific updates, visit the Oregon Department of Human Services website.

MCEM’s outreach work doesn’t stay in an office; our team works directly in communities to help make Multnomah County residents ready for emergency events. Between late August and mid November, our office participated in 19 events (tabling and presentations) with community groups such as the Equitable Giving Circle, multiple Affordable Housing locations, and multiple Library locations. We also conducted the first of many train-the-trainer events with NW Housing Alternatives, training 13 Resident Service Coordinators in how to give disaster preparedness presentations to their residents. These trainings are essential to helping our emergency preparedness programs reach the widest possible audience. 

Additionally, we're building our Community Outreach Cadre so that more people can respond to our many outreach requests. Seven additional people are being trained this season and many will be poised to share the request load come Spring 2026. Interested in gaining outreach experience and helping communities respond to emergency events? Email Lydia Ledgerwood-Eberlein at lydia.ledgerwood-eberlein@multco.us for more information. Time commitments can be flexible to your schedule. 

Upcoming Events

You can view upcoming training opportunities through the following events calendars: Multnomah County, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (subscribe option), the State of Oregon (subscribe option), and the State of Washington.

Training Offerings

November 4: Severe Weather Shelter/Disaster Resource Center Info Session

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 11:00am-11:45am PST
• Location: Virtual (Google Meet Link)
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: N/A
• Learn More

November 13: Trauma-informed Disaster Resource Centers Training

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 10:00am-12:00pm PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More

November 13: Violence against women and girls in disasters: How funders can fill funding gaps

• Host: The Center for Disaster Philanthropy
• Time: 10:00am-11:00am PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here

November 14: Disaster Resource Center Roles Training

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 9:00am-11:00am PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More

November 24: G0191: Emergency Operations Center/Incident Command System Interface

• Host: Oregon Department of Emergency Management 
• Time: 8:00am-5:00pm PST
• Location: 3930 Fairview Industrial Dr SE Salem OR 97302
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here

December 12: Severe Weather Shelter/Disaster Resource Center Info Session

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 10:00am-10:45am PST
• Location: Virtual (Google Meet Link)
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: N/A
• Learn More

December 17: Disaster Resource Center Roles Training

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 9:00am-11:00am PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More