PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Demand for food stamps is up in Oregon, and is expected to keep increasing.
The Oregon Department of Human Services said more than 700,000 Oregonians received food stamps in May, a 17 percent increase from last year.
But it has jumped 46 percent since July 2008 at the beginning of the recession.
The food stamps program is now called the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or SNAP.
Another program, called temporary assistance for needy families, is available for very low-income families and demand for it has also increased, up 35 percent since July 2008.
