As nearly 2 million Illinois residents prepare to lose federal food assistance Saturday amid the government shutdown, Gov. Pritzker signed an executive order Thursday directing $20 million toward food banks across the state.

Food pantries across Illinois have been bracing for a surge in demand due to the an anticipated loss of federal food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps. An estimated one in eight Americans uses SNAP to buy groceries.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a notice Monday stating that no federal food assistance will be distributed after the end of the month. Illinois typically administers roughly $350 million in federal food aid monthly to about 1.9 million people statewide, according to the Illinois Depa

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