It’s the 35th day of the government shutdown and with the future of SNAP benefits up in the air, a Montgomery County, Maryland, mom leapt into action by joining a grassroots effort that she saw online.

Related stories • SNAP has provided grocery help for 60-plus years; here’s how it works • SNAP benefits cut off during shutdown, driving long lines at food pantries • Montgomery Co. food bank prepares to fill void if SNAP benefits end

A week ago, Kristin Schmidt, senior minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, saw a video on Facebook of someone who took on what they call a “Grocery Buddy.”

The person took their grocery buddy shopping at a supermarket and made sure that even if their SNAP benefits ran out, they would not go hungry.

“I thought, well, like, I ca

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