COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - SNAP benefits expired on Saturday when the government entered day 32 of the shutdown, and food pantries in East Tennessee are busier than ever.

The Hope House of Cocke County saw a rush of visitors on Saturday, and volunteers were quickly overwhelmed by the amount of East Tennesseans looking for food.

“We’ve seen an enormous increase of guests at the pantry, more so the last few weeks due to fear of going hungry,” said Hope House of Cocke County Vice President Annita Rowland. “I would say it is probably close to a hundred percent increase in our volume.”

The Hope House originally started as a food pantry for homeless people in Cocke County, but it expanded its efforts after Hurricane Helene when their location was the only section of Downtown Newport not imp

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