As millions of Americans face a gap in food assistance due to the federal government shutdown , some families also worry about how they'll pay their winter heating bills.

The shutdown has delayed federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program , or LIHEAP, a program that helps about 6 million households nationwide pay their heating or cooling bills, buy fuel or fix broken heaters.

For nearly a decade, preschool teacher Justina Ray has relied on LIHEAP to heat her Pennsylvania home.

"My income itself comes down with all the holidays and the school closures," Ray said. Without LIHEAP, she said, her winter energy bills are "not affordable."

Sophia Schmidt / WHYY / WHYY

Around this time each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sends

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