Every meal is measured and every portion is planned in Elyse Herrera's kitchen because the Brownsville family cannot afford to waste any food, the Brownsville mom said.

Herrera’s family is one of thousands across the Rio Grande Valley who are waiting for their Lone Star cards to reload. The ongoing government shutdown is preventing federal funds from being distributed to the 42 million Americans who rely on them to pay for groceries.

“It’s the fear of failing as a mom and them going without,” Herrera said. “They've never gone to sleep hungry."

Herrera is a single mother of four who works and goes to school. She said she uses SNAP benefits to help fill in the gaps and provide for all the people and pets in her care.

Now that SNAP benefits are on hold, she's facing some hard decisions.

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