At Open Hand Food Pantry in the Bronx, founder Aleks Nilaj says he’s received hundreds of calls over the last few days from worried New Yorkers looking to see how they can receive food.

He thinks it’s because so many families are worried about SNAP funding during the government shutdown. As of Saturday morning, many New Yorkers who normally receive benefits say they have not received a deposit on their EBT cards.

The Trump administration has been court-ordered to keep the program funded. About 42 million Americans and 1.8 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.

Many SNAP recipients already use food pantries to fill the gap when benefits are not enough to meet their needs.

The Open Hand Food Pantry distributes fresh fruit and vegetables to

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