Amid the government shutdown and loss of federal funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Baton Rouge-area businesses are giving free food to affected community members.

SNAP is the country's largest anti-hunger program and aids nearly 46 million people nationally and about 850,000 Louisiana citizens, but the program officially runs out of federal funding Nov. 1 as a result of the recent government shutdown.

Eight states, including Louisiana, have found solutions to fund SNAP temporarily, using relief or state budget funds to cover the gap.

The Louisiana Senate approved an initiative on Wednesday to reallocate $150 million from the Louisiana Department of Health and the state's Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to fund SNAP benefits for the majority of residents enr

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