When Yangely Espinal learned that her monthly federal food aid would be delayed and reduced due to the government shutdown, it shook her to the core.
“SNAP benefits are how my family survives,” said Espinal, 37, who lives in Prospect Park, a Passaic County borough. “My hope is that this nightmare ends soon. What am I going to tell my kids?”
Espinal is among the 42 million Americans, including about 820,000 New Jersey children and adults, who rely on SNAP to supplement their diet and now find themselves more food-insecure than usual…