(Portland, OR) -- Local leaders are calling on President Trump to restore funding for food stamps. The Trump administration announced earlier this week that SNAP benefits will end next month due to the ongoing federal shutdown. A group of elected leaders and advocates in the Portland area want the President to authorize the release of contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing to millions of Americans, including 136-thousand people in Multnomah County. The group says the money is available and can be used at any time to fund the program through November.