(MENAFN) Roughly one in eight Americans rely on federal food stamp assistance, a program now at risk of losing funding due to the ongoing US government shutdown.

Eric Dunham, a 36-year-old service worker disabled after an accident, said he depends on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to survive. “If I don't get food stamps I can't eat,” he explained, adding that after covering expenses he has only $24 left each month. “That's it. The rest goes to child support,” said the father of two teenagers.

The federal government has been partially closed since October 1 because of budget disputes between Republicans and Democrats. The Trump administration announced that SNAP funding would be halted on Saturday, marking the first interruption in the program’s six-decade history. A federal judge intervened on Friday, ordering the use of emergency funds to maintain the program, and Trump indicated he intended to comply. Nevertheless, many beneficiaries experienced disruptions in aid during the bureaucratic standoff.

In Houston, Dunham received sandwiches and drinks provided by a local restaurant. “There's a lot of layoffs going around, and on top of that, we have the government shutdown and the SNAP benefits, nobody knew what was going to happen, and I made sandwiches for someone who comes and has SNAP benefits, and at least can have one meal for sure,” said restaurant owner Nhan Ngo. Though Dunham could not use his SNAP card to pay, he hugged Ngo in gratitude.

Thousands more lined up outside NRG Stadium, where the Houston Food Bank was distributing fresh and non-perishable foods. Its president noted that the SNAP halt affects about 425,000 households in the Houston area alone. “So every community is trying to step up to help these families get by in the meantime,” he said. Even with the judicial order to resume benefits, restarting the program at the state level would take several days.

Sandra Guzman, a 36-year-old mother of two, described the challenge of accessing food during the gap in SNAP support. “This is not something extraordinary or luxurious, this is something basic as getting food for my kids,” she said. “I'll say food stamps represent 40 per cent... of my expenses.”

Other residents voiced fears of wider consequences if aid remains frozen. Mary Willoughby, 72, waiting with her granddaughter, said, “We need our food stamps. We need our social security.

We need our Medicare... If you cut all that out, it's going to be nothing but a big war right now because people are gonna start robbing. We need the help.”

Carolyn Guy, 51, criticized the administration for allocating funds to a White House ballroom while SNAP benefits faced cuts. “Why are you taking our stuff from us? We work hard. You can take our food stamps, but here you're getting ready to build a ballroom? Doesn't make sense to me.”

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