LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) - If you walk into the Long Beach community food pantry, you’ll see that it’s almost empty. Volunteers say community needs have grown since the government shut down.

Volunteer Mark Collins said the pantry has been working overtime and that low-income families are worried that they won’t get SNAP benefits if the shutdown extends into the month of November.

SNAP Benefits, also known as food stamps, are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, and they help millions of people pay for groceries every month.

November 1 is supposed to mark the next cycle of payments.

“Without the SNAP benefits, it’s going to be a matter of how can they get the food that they need to feed their families, so the food pantry fills that void,” Collins said.

The pantry is r

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