For the past week, food banks have been reaching out to our team with the same worry: What happens if the federal government shutdown continues? They serve families across the country and could see what was coming ‒ strained resources, overwhelming demand, immediate crisis. They knew they were going to need even more help.

On Oct. 31, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for food stamps during the shutdown – but it was still unclear if or how that money would go out. Starting Nov. 1, food assistance funds provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could be frozen. The number of people affected by this program is staggering.

© USA TODAY