INDIANA — A prolonged federal government shutdown, now stretching into its third week, has created significant uncertainty for nearly 580,000 Indiana residents who rely on federal food assistance programs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instructed all state agencies, including the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), to hold off on issuing November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC).

Food security advocates have been sounding the alarm for weeks, warning that if Congress fails to pass a new budget or continuing resolution (CR) by the end of October, Hoosier families face a serious disruption to their benefits.

The potential halt in benefits has sparked deep concern am

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