According to reports from FOX DC, the ongoing federal government shutdown is sending shockwaves across Maryland, with officials warning that thousands of families could lose access to food assistance by early November if Congress doesn’t act soon.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has alerted states that federal money for the program could run out by Nov. 1. Maryland Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the concern, saying the funding freeze could impact the state’s most vulnerable residents if the shutdown continues.
SNAP, often called food stamps, provides monthly benefits to low-income individuals and families to help buy groceries. In Maryland, more than 600,000 residents rely on SNAP each month, which is about 1 in 10 people. The program brings in millions in federal dollars to local grocery stores and farmers’ markets, keeping both families and the state’s food economy afloat…