LEMONT, Ill. (WLS) -- The usually busy lunch service at The Wooden Paddle could get even busier now that the popular southwest suburb eatery is offering a free pizza to SNAP recipients who have lost their benefits.

More than 40 million Americans are set to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits Nov. 1 as the government shutdown nears its five-week mark. This includes more than a million Illinois residents, who will now have to find ...

Nearly 2 million people in Illinois may lose food assistance starting Saturday because of the government shutdown. The state and food pantries say they can’t replace the $350 million that SNAP provides each month.

Community groups and organizations are stepping up to help Chicagoans impacted by the SNAP benefit freeze put food on the table.

Luke Altmyer passed for four touchdowns and ran for another, and Gabe Jacas had two sacks as Illinois routed visiting Rutgers 35-13 on Saturday in Champaign, Ill., stopping a two-game losing streak.

Despite court orders to distribute SNAP benefits, state officials said the funds remain on hold for nearly 2 million Illinoisans.

Food assistance advocates and state officials acknowledged that the state funds to food banks would not be enough to fill the gap left by shutting off federal funds. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton called the funding “a drop in the bucket” at a news conference Thursday morning.