NEW YORK (AP) — Your neighbors might soon need extra assistance putting food on the table.

That’s because on Nov. 1 the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin freezing food aid payments used by about 1 in 8 Americans for groceries. A cornerstone of the nation’s social safety net, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is said to be out of funds as the government shutdown enters its second month.

Some experts estimate that even a one-month pause would plunge nearly 3 million low-income recipients into poverty. The charitable food system, already strained by the rising cost of living and Trump administration aid cuts, has braced all week for an overwhelming surge from the 42 million people who rely on SNAP.

Philanthropy can’t fill the gap. Food banks, pantries and other nonprofi

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