MOLINE, Ill. — The River Bend Food Bank held an emergency food distribution Monday at their food pantry in Moline, providing relief to families struggling with food insecurity.

Long lines of families with shopping carts formed outside the facility, with some arriving as early as 8 a.m. for a distribution that didn’t begin until 2 p.m.

“I was shocked today when I showed up,” said Chris Ford, president and CEO of River Bend Food Bank. “Kind of gives you the idea of how important feeding people is right now.”

Government shutdown impacts demand

The food distribution comes during the longest government shutdown in history. With SNAP benefits in limbo , the food bank has seen increased demand as a result.

“We were experiencing food insecurity before this government shutdown happened, and

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