SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The California National Guard (CalGuard) and California Volunteers have been deployed on a humanitarian mission to assist the San Diego Food Bank amid the ongoing government shutdown, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office announced Sunday.

*Watch the video above as FOX 5/KUSI's Juliette Vara reports on an emergency food distribution event at Snapdragon Stadium.

The deployment was issued in response to the delay of SNAP and CalFresh benefits for over 5.5 million Californians during the shutdown, which has now reached 34 days as of Monday.

Their efforts will focus on addressing the surge in food bank demands during the federal shutdown.

CalGuard and California Volunteers, led by the Department of Social Services, will work behind the scenes at local food ban

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