COLDWATER, MI — With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits pausing Saturday, Nov. 1, due to the federal government shutdown, Patty Daoud, the manager of the Branch Area Food Pantry, said "People are scared."

Daoud fielded calls during the weekly Tuesday, Oct. 28 morning distribution.

"It has brought fear and trepidation into our pantry, because a lot of people are already calling," Daoud said.

"They're panicking. They don't know what they're going to do with about feeding their families," she added.

The latest published county data from September for the state of Michigan showed that in Branch County 5,655 people received SNAP benefits.

The pantry received around 30 new sign-ups per week in the months leading up to the SNAP cut announcement.

Those numbers add to the over

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