As the government shutdown enters another week, millions of Americans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are facing a possible food crisis. Now DoorDash has launched an emergency initiative.

In a press release, DoorDash announced that it will distribute one million free meals through its network of more than 300 food bank partners across the United States and waive delivery and service fees for about 300,000 grocery orders placed by households using SNAP benefits in November. Participants who link an EBT card to their DoorDash account can shop from retailers including Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, Wegmans, and Ahold Delhaize stores and receive one order without any additional charges.

The company is also donating fresh food, shelf-stable goods, and household items from its DashMart stores to local food banks. “No one should go hungry in America,” said Max Rettig, DoorDash’s Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy. “Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is part of our mission, and we are stepping up alongside grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap.”

Eric Mitchell, President of the Alliance to End Hunger, warned that the shutdown is putting millions at risk of losing access to essential nutrition programs. “The food security of millions of people who rely on SNAP is at dire risk,” he said. “We know that the only viable solution is to ensure SNAP benefits are being delivered in full to those in need of food assistance as soon as possible. We are thankful for the part that companies and organizations across the country like DoorDash can do to try to fill the gap, and we will continue to work tirelessly to make sure SNAP is restored and protected quickly and fully.”

Federal funding for SNAP supports more than 42 million Americans, including 21 million children, 16 million working families, and 5 million seniors. Without new appropriations from Congress, November benefits will not be distributed. 

The current shutdown has halted funding for education, special education, federal workers and after-school programs while military operations and immigration enforcement remain fully financed. According to The Hill, polling shows that more Americans blame Republicans than Democrats for the government shutdown.