Every night at 6 p.m., Community Garden Kitchen in North Texas opens its doors to anyone who needs a hot meal.

On Monday, staff in McKinney prepared for a larger crowd after November SNAP benefits failed to load due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“Anyone can come in for a fresh meal if you’re hungry. No paperwork. No criteria to meet. No questions asked. If you’re hungry, we’re going to seat you and serve you just like at any other restaurant,” said Executive Director Tunya Green.

“If we didn’t have the food here, I think we would be in heartfelt trouble,” said Kelly Hilton.

Hilton is one of many watching her EBT card closely, hoping benefits will arrive later this month. The Trump administration recently told a federal judge it would use contingency funds to cover 50% of

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