Most of the 160,000 Hawaii residents dependent on government food stamps received benefits Sunday to last them until March.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that average nearly $40 million were released two weeks early to ensure that low-income residents have enough food during the partial government shutdown that is affecting federal programs and services nationwide in its fifth week.

Because of the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s funding for SNAP ended this past weekend, and officials from the USDA could not commit to procuring the necessary funds to keep the program going into March, according to the Business Insider news website.

“The Hawaii Department of Human Services’ first priority this month has been to continue SNAP benefits uninterrupted by the partial federal government shutdown,” said Keopu Reelitz, spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services, which administers the benefits. “We know a lot of our clients were concerned about the shutdown affecting the food assistance they rely on. We hope the early issuance provides some relief as the shutdown continues. We encourage clients to be mindful of their budget as we’re unable to provide additional food assistance in February.”

Meanwhile the Hawaii Foodbank distributed more than 12,000 pounds of food over the weekend and on Tuesday: 7,000 pounds to the U.S. Coast Guard and 5,100 pounds to other federal workers. On Thursday the agency will distribute another 4,200 pounds on Kauai.

The food bank typically provides between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds of food a day to low-income residents, or about a million pounds every month.

“I’m very concerned if this government shutdown continues into late February and early March because that would certainly be a game changer with so many people who rely on SNAP benefits,” said Ron Mizutani, Hawaii Foodbank CEO. “Certainly, we’re not prepared at this point for that potential influx in needs.”

One in 8 Hawaii residents receives help from the agency, which is already feeling an increase in demand.

“We understand other federal government workers have been showing up at member agencies, and we even have people coming directly to the warehouse in uniform,” he said.

Mizutani said the agency has received an “incredible” response from the community, with one retailer sending 30,000 pounds of potatoes to the nonprofit Tuesday.

The fear is there won’t be enough food as the “demands are increasing every day.”

“You’re talking about an additional 160,000 people in Hawaii who will potentially need food,” Mizutani said, adding that the need for donations is critical. “We have never seen hunger at that level.”