FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) — In just a few days, programs like EBT could stop receiving funds, threatening food and mental health services across the valley.

For many families in the valley, programs like EBT are how they get by every month.

Local leaders say that support could disappear in just a few days.

The Fresno Center helps thousands of people a month through federal dollars.

“When they cut money or federal funding to the state, they also cut that resource to the Central Valley food banks. And when the food banks don’t have the resources or the means of getting this food, then it doesn’t matter who they partner with, they’re not going to have enough food to supply the partners like us to give out the food,” said Pao Yang, the CEO of Fresno Food Center.

Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez, sounding the alarm for people on welfare, said on November 1st, people may no longer have access to federally funded programs.

“We’ve gotten direction from the federal government through the state that their EBT cards will not get recharged,” said Chavez.

And with holidays around the corner, Chavez advises people to be careful with their funds.

“With Halloween and there’s a tendency to wanna overspend a little bit with cupcakes and candies and groceries and things of that sort.”We’re asking them to be mindful of that. We’re asking them to be mindful of that,” said Chavez.

According to Chavez, over 248-thousand people in Fresno County are at risk of losing their services, equaling 46 million dollars a month.

“So you can imagine what that will do to our economy, to supermarkets, to jobs, to folks,” said Chavez.

With about a week left, the county and non-profits are doing what they can so people don’t fall short.

“We’re gonna be sending out a notice in the next couple of days from our department of social services on a list of resources that folks who are affected can go to,” said Chavez.

“We’re going to talk to our stores, our grocery stores, and see what they can do and see how they can donate to us,” said Yang.

Chavez says he sees no end in sight to this government shutdown.

And even if it were to end before November 1st, there will be a delay to reauthorize the funds.

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