When SNAP funding was cut for residents in early November Hameed Bello and his wife Ayo, co-owners of Farm Store 99 in Springfield, continued to serve customers, even when they couldn't pay.

Food banks around the U.S. have been busier than usual in the past month. Produce for soup kitchens and pantries comes from several sources, including fields that are gleaned of excess crops, after farmers finish their harvest.

In Springfield Public Schools, about 87% of all students eat breakfast every morning, followed by 75% of elementary school students in North Adams and 73% in Holyoke, a new report finds.

When politicians use food benefits as political football, Prof. Mariana Chilton says the country — not only hungry families — experience a collective trauma.

Though SNAP has been restored and the shutdown has ended, some local restaurants took action to feed residents who relied on this aid and they've decided to continue this work throughout the month of November.