Oregon Public Broadcasting

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says food banks are running out of gas money.  So Thursday she opened up a state emergency fund to give food banks $200,000 for gas.

Gregoire says workers at a food bank in Spokane told her about the problem.

Chris Gregoire: "'Oh, by the way, we can't get our refrigerated trucks out there as often as we should 'cause we can't afford the gas.' If everybody donates here, and we can't get the food distributed, what good does it do, particularly in our rural communities. I felt that was a crisis, deserving of a Governor's emergency fund."

Gregoire says the state will raise the annual income cap for food stamp eligibility from $27,000 to $42,000 for a family of 4.

The director of Northwest Harvest says more middle-class people are using food banks since food and gas prices have increased.