PHOENIX (AZFamily) — As the government shutdown continues, nearly one million Arizonans are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits starting Nov. 1.

“All of the years after that I’ve been in social services that we actually got to the point where we weren’t issuing benefits,” said Wildfire Executive Director Kelly McGowan .

Wildfire is a statewide nonprofit that works to stop poverty. So far this year, Wildfire has about 35,000 households work through the process to apply for SNAP benefits. If those SNAP benefits do run out, McGowan says the next best option for those in need of assistance is going to local food banks .

“National data suggests that for every meal that a food bank provides, SNAP benefits provide about nine. So there is no way that they can meet the demand. But that

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