ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania’s food banks are already in crisis, with $25-million dollars in funding cuts.

But now, a potential SNAP freeze just two weeks away has them scrambling and the people who rely on them very worried.

Nearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP.)

Because of the government shutdown, program benefits could be frozen, pushing those people to food banks that are already stretched to the limit.

At the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank, they are bracing for an increase in clients ahead of SNAP benefits payments being frozen in November as a result of the shutdown.

Food bank officials say the timing couldn’t be worse as Pennsylvania still has no budget.

According to Feeding Pennsylvania, food banks across the state haven’t received $19 million in food funding from the federal government and $6 million from the state.

“Which means that our food banks have also gone all of that time without really critical state funding that allows them to purchase fresh, healthy food that they use to stock the shelves,” said Lauren Duff, chief public affairs officer at Feeding Pennsylvania.

News of the potential SNAP freeze is already driving numbers up statewide.

“I would anticipate we’re going to see an extra 40% new clients this month. That’s a lot,” said Anne Egan, executive director of Ecumenical Food Bank.

Hayley Alford is one of them. She has two small kids at home and is about to have her third child.

When asked if she was concerned about being able to feed her family, Hayley said, “Yeah, because there’s not a lot of like help.”

Two million people receive SNAP benefits in our state. The Department of Human Resources says 35% of those folks are under 18 years of age, 25% are 55 or older and 11% are disabled.

Terri Neifert is a senior who lives on a fixed income. She’s worried about what the freeze would do to her finances.

“It’s going to dip into what little savings I have left,” said Terri.

Food banks across the state are trying to get ahead of the potential freeze by holding food drives, asking for donations and sourcing fresh food.

For more information on how to donate or how to get food from the food bank, visit feedingpa.org