The federal government shutdown extended into November over the weekend, causing Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to lapse for an estimated 42 million Americans.

As many as 76,000 New Hampshire residents are below the poverty threshold and receive food assistance through SNAP, including about 26,000 children. These families may need SNAP to put food on the table, and on Saturday, those benefits stopped arriving.

The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (NHFPI) found the highest percentages of the population on food stamps lived in rural areas in the north and southwest of the state.

“While individuals and families throughout New Hampshire receive SNAP benefits, disruptions in food assistance could disproportionately impact the state’s smaller, more rural comm

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