NORFOLK,Neb.- It is officially the longest-running government shutdown in the country's history.

The shutdown, now at day 36 and counting, has affected 150,000 Nebraskans receiving SNAP benefits.

Pastor Will Perrigan with the Norfolk Rescue Mission says they have been offering three free meals a day for those who need them.

But now, they have been trying a new way to distribute food to more people.

“So, we’ve been doing Friday events and just making it open to the public to come and get the things they need," Perrigan said. "And we’ve seen a pretty good response to that — maybe 40 or so different families or individuals coming every Friday.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze SNAP payments starting Saturday because of a lapse in funds during the shutdown. Two judges on Monday ordered the administration to continue to pay out SNAP funding using contingency funds.

But for Pastor Perrigan, with the holiday season around the corner, he’s expecting numbers at the rescue to increase.

“Our goal is never how many chairs can we fill, but we just want to make sure that everybody who comes is loved, they hear the gospel, they get a fantastic meal, and they really feel like they’re part of a family setting,” Perrigan said.

The giving back goes beyond food banks. Greg Rottinghaus is the store director at Hy-Vee West in Norfolk. The grocery store is offering food bags for families priced from $5 to $10.

He says some of their customers are experiencing uncertainty due to the shutdown. To ease the burden, they are helping with low-priced dinners.