The shutdown of the federal government has been a complete disaster for Staten Islanders. Mass layoffs and furloughs have started to hurt the federal employees that live and work here. Those lucky enough to keep their jobs are missing paychecks. Essential services, from air traffic control to the distribution of government benefits, have suffered. However, we’re just days away from the most significant consequence of the shutdown: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a $100 billion federal program that helps low-income families buy food and serves as our nation’s most effective tool for fighting hunger, will come to a halt in November.

That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the federally funded, state-administered program, announced t

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