00:00It is literally the difference between life and death.
00:03For families who depend on SNAP or WIC, a trip to the grocery store already takes careful planning, but now it means planning through uncertainty.
00:13Donald Trump and Republicans have barreled us into a shutdown because they refuse to protect Americans' health care.
00:22Democrats have bowed to the far left and they've shut down the federal government.
00:25As the government shutdown drags on, Robin Nolte, a mother living in Nebraska's capital, is left wondering how long she'll be able to swipe her card at checkout.
00:35Even though funding is expected to last through the end of the month, Robin says she's already being more selective, just in case, deciding what to buy and what to leave on the shelf.
00:46And I've used more food banks, so Lincoln does have a lot of food banks, so that I can save and preserve some of the benefits in case they don't come through.
00:54In November.
00:56She's been using SNAP for about a year and a half, a source of stability as she works to rebuild her life.
01:02For six months we were homeless, so SNAP was the one thing that was fairly consistent for us because we could at least get food, which is kind of a big deal when you're trying to figure out the other areas of your life.
01:15Programs like SNAP and WIC are funded in advance, so when the government shuts down, benefits don't stop right away.
01:22But if the closure drags on, future payments could be at risk.
01:26We're worried about November benefits going out on time, which can be really impactful.
01:30The fact that people don't have the food that they need is a problem in our country, and it's something that policy can impact.
01:38Just before the shutdown began, the National WIC Association warned the program could run out of money within weeks if Congress didn't reach a deal.
01:47That's because WIC never received its new funding for the fiscal year that started October 1st, the same day the government shut down.
01:54The White House stepped in with a short-term boost to keep benefits flowing.
01:59But Eric Saviano, who oversees food and nutrition at the nonprofit Nebraska Appleseed, says they don't want families to panic because there's still hope the government will reopen before those funds run out.
02:11We have a very chaotic government right now, and we want to see that more stable in these programs to do their job.
02:17Together Omaha serves as one of the largest food pantries in the metro, and right now in Omaha and across the country, the need is surging.
02:25Basically, at the end of September, we were on pace to be pretty close to 40,000 unique users, and as most people know, people visit pantries more than once in a year.
02:37Our average is about six to seven times a year per household.
02:43CEO of Together Omaha, Mike Hornacek, says the trend reflects the pressure families feel as costs climb faster than incomes.
02:52The pressure that families continue to feel in balancing their budgets as the cost of living continues to increase from the cost of gas and groceries to heating your home to rent your mortgage.
03:06He says the organization is already serving more people than any point during the pandemic, and that's before any impacts from the shutdown or possible snap cuts.
03:23You can grab 14 more items.
03:25Not to use the word lightly, but it's essential services.
03:29I don't think our community can operate, provide the supports that it needs to have a healthy, productive community unless people have access to healthy, nutritious food.
03:44And while Together Omaha is doing everything it can to meet the growing need, Hornacek says the biggest challenge is the unknown.
03:51We're in really uncertain times, and organizations, individuals are really anxious and nervous because we just don't know what's going to happen and know what to expect.
04:03For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey.
04:05For more on this story and others right here in Nebraska, head to san.com or download the Straight Arrow News mobile app today.
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