NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is warning that the Midstate will see far-reaching impacts if the government shutdown extends through Saturday, leading to the loss of SNAP benefits for hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans.

“Our community is facing one of the most serious challenges in recent memory,” said CEO Nancy Keil in a message posted Tuesday to Facebook .

‘Hunger doesn’t wait’: Millions of meals in peril

Keil said that 246,000 Middle and West Tennessee residents rely on SNAP benefits to eat. But with funding for SNAP benefits set to run out at the end of the week as the government shutdown drags on, many of those Tennesseans will soon have to choose between putting food on the table or paying their bills.

And the nonprofit said

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