DENVER — On a day focused on gratitude, Nicole Psilas is finding joy in the little things.

“It puts the stress aside. I don't feel stressed when I get to see my family, and I'm able to go and eat dinner and spend time with my family without having to worry about these other things,” she said.

We first met Psilas at the beginning of the month as she waited for her SNAP benefits to reload. She was one of more than 600,000 Coloradans who had yet to receive their benefits due to the government shutdown.

“I'm like, maybe today, who knows?” she said.

Even after the shutdown ended, recovery wasn't immediate for families like hers.

“There was a lot of making up for it, and that's just how it is,” she said.

She credits the help she received from food pantries and community groups for helpin

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