HACKENSACK — The city has launched an emergency food drive to support the 2,788 families who rely on SNAP benefits, as the ongoing federal government shutdown threatens the program’s funding.

SNAP — or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — is set to lose federal funding on Saturday, Nov. 1.

City officials initiated the food drive after learning from County Commissioner Tracy Zur that Hackensack is home to more families receiving benefits than any other Bergen County municipality. She encouraged them to think about how to quickly support families who may experience a lapse in their benefits, Mayor Caseen Gaines said.

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“I’m a firm believer that government is supposed to help people, to support people who are the most vulnerable among us,” he

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