BUTTE — As the government shutdown heads into its second month, millions of Americans are facing the loss of food benefits. A Butte family is one of the over 77,000 Montana families grappling with this hard reality.

"Hunger, for me, is digging in trash cans for food. Having your stomach just hurt — physically hurting — because you are so hungry. Mentally, it hurts," says Angela Madsen.

Madsen and her wife, Jeanette Nedbalek, have a combined yearly income of around $55,000 that supports four children ranging in age from 5 years to 15 years old.

Last February, the family became unable to afford rent and moved into the Butte Rescue Mission. Just one month before the government shutdown, the family became eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Butte family share

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