DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - As the federal government shutdown threatens to cut funding for critical programs like SNAP and WIC next month, St. Louis County is taking proactive steps to keep residents informed.

The county’s Health Department announced the launch of a new webpage designed to track how the shutdown will affect local services and where residents can turn for help.

According to county officials, roughly 16,000 St. Louis County residents are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) alone. With that many people potentially impacted, local food shelves are already preparing for increased demand.

“We’ve been increasing our purchasing upfront to make sure we have enough for folks coming in,” said Anthony Nordan, captain of the Duluth Salvation Arm

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