BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) -- The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging (EBRCOA) raises concerns as the federal government shutdown impacts SNAP benefits for November.

The agency said many seniors living in the parish are in food deserts, where they don't have easy access to nutritious groceries. According to EBRCOA, these residents are at a higher risk of hunger and malnutrition without the benefits.

“The threat of losing SNAP benefits is not just a financial hardship. It’s a public health crisis,” said CEO of EBRCOA Tasha Clark Amar. “The Council on Aging is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that no senior in our community goes hungry.”

In response, EBRCOA, which serves nearly 10,000 seniors, is mobilizing emergency food assistance through its Lotus Food Pantry and

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