ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - With the longest government shutdown in U.S. history still ongoing and the ensuing uncertainty about the immediate future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), many of the 780,000 Louisianans who rely on these benefits have been seeking extra help from food banks.

However, here in Central Louisiana Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana said they were dealing with empty shelves even before the shutdown began and the added demand only further strained their resources. Acutely aware of their dwindling supplies, the Central Louisiana Food Bank said they reached out to their longtime partners at the Rapides Foundation.

The foundation wanted to help and so, last week, their executive committee approved $300

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