Food banks across Colorado are pleading for extra donations this week ahead of an expected Nov. 1 cutoff of food assistance benefits because of the federal government shutdown.

About 600,000 Coloradans are projected to lose their food assistance. In an online post in red text and labeled “Urgent,” the state Department of Human Services said Tuesday that the federal government has not released funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which means Colorado cannot issue about $120 million in food stamps for next month.

The funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is on hold and Colorado will not issue the benefits “until the federal government restores funding,” the post said.

Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday he is requesting $10 million from the Legislature’s

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