Their remarks on recent earnings calls have come amid what has been the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history. A bill to keep the government open until Jan. 30 cleared the Senate on Monday; the House of Representatives could vote on it Wednesday, but it could still take days for services to be fully restored.

A former director of the U.N. World Food Program said the cutoff of SNAP benefits had immediate impacts on grocers and convenience stores of all sizes.

Trump administration lawyers have warned that SNAP funding could be delayed in Democratic-led states that have requested full benefits.

The shutdown brought the scale of the federal food aid program into focus and raised questions about how such a rich country could have so many people on nutrition assistance.

The Supreme Court's emergency action stands to impact tens of millions of low-income Americans who receive SNAP benefits.

In September, 9,557 households in Vanderburgh County received SNAP benefits. That breaks down to 18,737 individuals.

The food pantry at Brashear High School is open once a week, and each student gets about five minutes to shop. Any snacks they don't take often go to teachers, to offer to hungry pupils.

While recent posts have raised alarm over a claimed uptick in shoplifting and store violence, retail industry sources don’t see a need for increased security measures.