Food pantries in Lane County are asking for more donations as they prepare for a potential lapse of SNAP benefits next month.

Around 75,000 people in Lane County use the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help pay for groceries. Those benefits are supposed to be distributed between the first and ninth day of each month.

However, people may not receive their allotments in November as long as the U.S. government remains shut down. As of Friday morning, NPR reported that congressional Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to reaching a deal.

Rebecca Sprinson, the Director of Development with Food for Lane County, said the lapse could force more people to seek out other food assistance programs.

“We are in communication with our pantry partners, helping them to

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