At a Des Moines, Iowa, food bank, clients who used to come occasionally are now regulars.
The number of visitors has steadily risen in the last two years, as COVID-19 pandemic relief programs ended, said Andrea Cook, executive director of the Johnston Partnership, which runs the food bank.
And now, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits aren't expected to arrive in full in November because of the government shutdown.
The shortfall will leaving 42 million people scrambling to find food, and food banks like Cook's nationwide bracing for a wave of new clients desperate for a meal.
Two federal judges on Oct. 31 ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute its reserves, which will provide about two-thirds of the usual funds and will delay distribution by at least a few days. The rulings are likely to be appealed.
