Illinois legislators serving Grundy, Kendall, Kane and Will counties are urging the federal government to continue funding a food assistance program that helps feed 40 million people across the country.

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, will be gone and benefits will cease on Saturday because of the continued shutdown of the federal government, according to a post on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. The USDA manages the SNAP program.

Nearly two million Illinois residents rely on SNAP to provide basic nutrition for themselves and their families.

“Everyday people rely on SNAP benefits which serve as a vital lifeline to keep food on the table,” state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, said in a statement released Monday from her office.

“It’s time to put politics aside. Families across Illinois will go hungry because of a political gridlock. Urgent action is needed,” she said.

About 22,375 people in the 49th District that Loughran Cappel represents rely on SNAP benefits, she said.

State Sen. Patrick Joyce, a Democrat from Essex, said more than 39,000 people in the district he represents rely on SNAP benefits.

“If November comes and a solution isn’t brought to the table, there will be a lot of pain in the 40th,” Joyce said in a written statement. “I have families in every corner of my district, both urban and rural, Republican and Democrat, who depend on these benefits to put food on the table.”

Some of the top populations served by SNAP include children, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. The program impacts state and federal economies from grocers, farmers, and manufacturers to transportation.

“It is the duty of federal lawmakers to rise above partisanship when it comes to protecting the people they serve,” Joyce. “The time to act is now, so that families don’t go hungry.”

State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, said almosst 22,000 residents in her 42nd District are at risk of losing food assistance benefits.

“Across the board, [President Donald Trump’s] tactics seem designed to create uncertainty, fear and suffering among families whose resources are already dwindling,” Holmes said in a statement.

Holmes encourages those who have extra items in their pantries to reach out to area food banks and offer what they can.

Her office said she was working with other state officials and community organizations to prepare for potential disruptions.

“In Illinois, we will continue to strengthen local programs that keep families fed – but we cannot do it alone,“ Holmes said.

Hunger by the numbers

Feeding America, a national organization that works to combat hunger by supporting multiple programs in states, provides the following data on those considered living with food insecurity based on 2023 numbers, the latest available:

Grundy County: 5,720 residents or 10.8% of the population

Kane County: 57,540 residents or 11.1% of the population

Kendall County: 11,640 or 8.6% of the population

Will County: 69,460 residents or 9.9% of the population