Food Banks Prepare For Surge If Federal Assistance Is Cut Off

The nation’s food banks are preparing for a surge of hungry people if federal assistance is cut off this weekend. States are scrambling to figure out what to do if federal food assistance comes to a halt on Saturday because of the government shutdown. Food banks and pantries that were already struggling after federal program cuts this year are now bracing for a wave of new people needing help. The Trump administration says it won’t use a roughly 5 billion dollar contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, and that it won’t reimburse states that temporarily cover the costs.