For mothers like Nubia Harrington, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been a lifeline.

Harrington, a mother of five, moved to Nashville from San Diego in July and gave birth to twin boys in August. One of the babies recently had open heart surgery. Harrington said she’s worried how she will feed her growing family while caring for her son’s special needs.

On Nov. 1, Harrington was one of dozens of SNAP recipients who flooded the East Nashville Care Market food pantry to stock up on free groceries as confusion looms over cuts to the nation’s biggest food program.

“We escaped homeless in San Diego and now this happens,” Harrington said. “It’s just devastating.”

Funding for SNAP ran out on Nov. 1 due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, impacting millions of Americ

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