Orange County leaders are calling on the community and Gov. Ron DeSantis for action as people relying on SNAP could go hungry during the federal government shutdown.

“We are a compassionate community. We come together when we need to during a crisis. And that’s what we’re asking us to do today,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said at a press conference Wednesday.

About 175,000 Orange County residents — a group that includes senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities and families with children — receive the emergency food benefits on their prepaid cards to buy fresh food at the grocery store. Now, that help is lapsing for the first time Nov. 1 unless the government shutdown ends or lawmakers allocate money to the program.

Orange County currently gives $5.3 million to

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