MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Independently owned grocery stores are bracing for the financial impact of a SNAP shutdown.

“There are some stores that lose 50% of their income,” said National Supermarket Association Florida Chapter President Francis Rodriguez.

“More than $5-$6 billion in revenue a year comes to Florida through SNAP benefits,” said Feeding South Florida President and CEO Paco Velez.

On Monday, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.2 million workers along the nation’s food supply chain, sent a letter to the USDA urging the agency to activate tools available to extend SNAP benefits through the end of November.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava addressed the issue this week.

“Nearly one in four of our households in Miami-Dade County depend upon SNAP to put food on the table,” said Levine Cava. “It is a true emergency. We could never replace what the federal government provides. That is why we are putting an appeal to our community to step up and join us.”

To meet the moment, the county’s Department of Emergency Management will be coordinating a coalition of community partners that will include churches and schools.

“We usually do about one or two mobile food distributions a month, and now we are just going to try to increase that as much as possible,” said Joshua’s Heart Foundation Founder and CEO Joshua Williams.

The approaching hunger crisis comes when food banks are already facing a food supply shortage due to previous USDA funding cuts.

“Those dollars that dried up, they are no longer available to us, so that has directly reduced our food supply in the immediate term,” said Farm Share President and CEO Stephen Shelley. “Giving us less resources necessary to now directly impact this type of a crisis that is coming down the pipeline.”

In Broward County, Wendy Bourgault, the executive director for Meals on Wheels South Florida said that starting Saturday, they are launching a senior SNAP emergency relief program.

“We serve the most vulnerable seniors in Broward County and come November 1, they are going to need Meals on Wheels because they’re just hanging on by the skin of their teeth with the SNAP benefits,” she said.

For more information on how to help those in need, visit MiamiDade.gov/CARES or head to www.mowsoflo.org.

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