LANSING — Tens of thousands of Northern Michigan residents could go hungry this weekend as federal food benefits are set to lapse.

The Supplemental Food Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will stop paying out benefits on Nov. 1, owing to the continued government shutdown.

“People are very nervous about it,” said Candice Hamel, executive director of Traverse City’s Father Fred Foundation. “We saw about 90 families come through our food pantry yesterday, and typically on a Tuesday, 50 would be a lot. So I think just people are starting to brace for those impacts.”

SNAP provides benefits for more than 40 million Americans and over 1.4 million Michigan residents.

Statewide, about 15% of Michigan residents are enrolled in SNAP, including close to half a million children.

“The impac

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