SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- As the government shutdown continues into its sixth day, concerns mount over the ripple effects. Local services like food pantries are preparing for what could be an influx of need, if the shutdown lingers.

"We have in our network, in northern Indiana, we have 60 food pantries that distribute government commodities," said Marijo Martinec, executive director and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

The St. Joseph County on-site pantry, located in South Bend, provides food to roughly 325 families a day, about as many as during the pandemic.

"A slower day for us is when we go under 300," Martinec said.

According to Martinec, there's been a 15 percent increase in households coming for food assistance since last year, and a 66 percent increase in new households or in

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