Early this week, Tim Nistler looked over the fully stocked shelves of the Friends In Deed food pantry in Pasadena, filled with palettes of boxes on the floor and crates stacked almost to the ceiling.

Nistler, director of the pantry since 2013, said this week, and a day before federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were to go unpaid because of the government shutdown, close to 850 households came through the pantry doors, setting a new record.

“Last week it was 803,” Nistler said. “These are unprecedented numbers for us. Last year, at this same time, we saw around 700 each week. So, it’s a significant jump.”

While Nistler said he sees an increase in the number of people coming for food every year, what is surprising is the jump in the average number of househ

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