On Thursday, October 30th, Montavilla Brew Works (MBW) will host a food bank benefit with matched food donations to Mainspring Community Pantry and the Oregon Food Bank amid a looming food crisis brought about by the Federal Government’s shutdown. Attendees can bring unexpired non-perishable food items to 7805 SE Stark Street from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the organizer will match that donation with an equivalent amount of similar food items. MBW’s founder, Michael Kora, created the “Snap to It” event to bolster the local systems that support people experiencing food insecurity. Those supportive programs expect to see increased demand after November 1st, when the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will pause due to a funding halt.
As with many of MBW’s charitable events, attendees are encouraged to stay for music and locally produced beer. Band Two-Dimensional Man will perform live at the event, and anyone over 21 who donates two or more food items will receive $1 off their first pint. Kora hopes these incentives and the general goodwill of Portlanders will make an impact in supporting the one in six Oregonians who rely on food benefits, which federal actions could drastically reduce next month.
On October 1st, after Congress failed to pass 2026 funding legislation, officials told many Federal workers to stay home, while other essential employees were required to work without pay. Programs with unspent and contingency funds could continue to support those operations. However, a recent notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will not use reserve funds and halt payments to States for its SNAP program in November. In a partisan message on the agency’s website, it blames Senate Democrats for not passing legislation that would reopen the Federal government.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield recently announced Oregon is joining 21 other states in filing a lawsuit against the USDA, contending that the agency is failing to access billions of dollars in contingency funds designated by Congress to maintain SNAP operations during funding lapses.
Even if funding legislation passes or the USDA taps into its contingency money, support for food banks and anti-hunger organizations is needed. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) implemented federally required changes to SNAP eligibility on October 1st in reaction to the federal law approved in July 2025. The H.R.1 legislation will reduce benefits and increase work requirements for some SNAP recipients, driving more people to alternative food assistance programs. ODHS officials estimate that under the new law, Oregon will need to contribute $385 million annually to the program to maintain current service levels.
People interested in seeing their non-perishable food donations doubled should attend Montavilla Brew Works’ “Snap to It” event on Thursday, October 30th. Others unable to attend but interested in supporting can make donations to organizations like the Oregon Food Bank and Meals on Wheels People, which anticipate higher demand due to changes in Federal funding for food assistance.
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