Each month, millions of people trust the federal nutrition programs will be there to help them through tough times - a government shutdown puts benefits at risk in these programs and harms individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. In addition, the shutdown will have a devastating impact on millions of civilian and military federal employees and federal contractors. If these workers miss paychecks, it could jeapardize their ability to put food on the table for themselves and their families and cover other household expenses. During previous shutdowns, food banks across the country saw large spikes in demand for emergency food assistance, with many people seeking help for the first time.