SALEM Ore. (KPTV) - Governor Tina Kotek declared a food emergency on Wednesday as thousands of Oregonians face losing food benefits next week due the federal shutdown.

According to the governor’s office, the 60-day food security emergency declaration directs $5 million to the state’s food bank network. It also sets up an emergency command to ensure food relief reaches vulnerable families through the holiday months of November and December.

Along with the declaration, Kotek asked Oregonians to help support their neighbors in need, and called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release emergency contingency funds “already authorized under federal law to sustain SNAP benefits nationwide.”

“We stand up for each other, whether it’s fires, floods, or any other crisis. I call on

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