PHOENIX — While the government shutdown has officially ended, many services are only now beginning to return to normal. Some 670,000 furloughed federal workers received back pay Friday, with payments continuing into next week. The FAA has also reduced flight restrictions at Sky Harbor and nearly 40 other airports as staffing stabilizes.

But for thousands of Arizonans relying on SNAP benefits, the disruption has already caused significant hardship. The USDA now says full benefits should be distributed by Monday at the latest, but for those still waiting, the delay has been devastating — including Phoenix mother Marzia Munari, known to ABC15 viewers from the Smart Shopper series.

From utilizing the food bank to learning new ways to save at the grocery store, Munari works hard to stretch every dollar.

“There’s no money, there’s no SNAP benefits. So what am I going to do to keep my family fed and safe?” Marzia Munari, of Phoenix, said.

Munari is the full-time caregiver for her 85-year-old mother and her 21-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. For her family, she says, SNAP is essential.

“Obviously, at that point you have to take money from where you already have budgeted out for other things, like utilities, car payment,” Munari said.

Now, she faces another challenge — she says she can’t afford to pay her power bill.

“Monday morning, they will shut it down, because I have to give them $250 by this weekend, Sunday night. And I don’t know what I’m going to do, you know? And the power is necessary because my daughter, Jessica, she has to have a CPAP machine at night to breathe. And I don’t know, without power, what’s going to happen, you know,” Munari said.

She describes the missing SNAP funds as the first domino to fall in her tightly controlled monthly budget.

“It’s been stressful and upsetting. And sometimes I think it’s shameful that this is happening,” Munari said.

ABC15 has spoken with Arizonans who have already received their November SNAP funds.

The Department of Economic Security provided the following statement to ABC15 this week:

“On November 12, 2025, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also referred to as Nutrition Assistance (NA), was made available through September 30, 2026. The Department of Economic Security (DES) is taking immediate action to issue any outstanding benefits and resume normal SNAP benefit operations.”

ABC15 continues to push DES for the number of Arizonans still waiting and a timeline for when all benefits will be restored.

“It is an emergency,” Munari said. “Kids in America, they’re going to go to bed hungry.”

Munari says the financial uncertainty has shaken her faith in what lies ahead.

“It makes me lose confidence in our future. You know, what is it going to be like if this is acceptable?” Munari said. “Future generation? That makes me very… I think about it a lot.”

For anyone struggling due to the SNAP benefit disruptions, ABC15 has compiled a list off resources and local businesses stepping up to help.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.