Community members across metro Atlanta are stepping up to help people dealing with food insecurity while SNAP payments remain in limbo.

The government shutdown could soon take food off the table for more than a million Georgians who rely on SNAP benefits — leaving many families anxious.

The impact goes far beyond individual families. SNAP reduces food insecurity by around 30% — helping families afford meals that might otherwise be out of reach. The program also injects more than $3 billion per year into Georgia’s economy, supporting over 2,300 grocery stores, big box chains, specialty shops and farmers markets statewide.

One local organization is scrambling after federal funding stopped, trying to keep meals on the table for seniors in need.

The federal government says the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will run out of money Nov. 1. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says there is nothing the state can do.