The deadline is approaching for avoiding the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, and many in metro Atlanta are concerned about what it would mean for their access to the food banks they rely on.

The government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday if the Senate does not pass a House measure that would extend federal funding for seven weeks while lawmakers finish their work on annual spending bills.

If the shutdown lasts for a while, nonprofit leaders say it could be devastating for metro Atlanta residents who rely heavily on food pantries to feed their families. 

Atlanta grandmother Angelique Fitz says she doesn't know how she would get by if the Community Food Center on Martin Luther King Jr. is impacted by the government shutting down.

"I have a very big family, grandkids and kids, and times are getting hard," she said. "It's good for them to be up here because it helps us out a lot."

The Community Food Center opened in late August, the fourth established by the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

"By this coming into our neighborhood a couple of months ago, it's really helping us out," Fitz said. "It's a blessing and we need all the help we can get."

She said the food pantry has been a safe haven for her, and that she'll have to figure out another way to feed her family if there is a government shutdown.

Atlanta Community Food Bank President Kyle Wade said a shutdown wouldn't initially affect the organization's operations, but a shutdown that lasted longer than a few days could cause problems.

"If the shutdown were to drag on for weeks, it can certainly impact our ability to have enough food to meet the level of demand we're seeing," Wade said.

According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank's data, the organization serves 70% more people now than it did three years ago, so a government shutdown would cause more demand and put a strain on the food bank.

The last shutdown was in President Trump's first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Mr. Trump eventually backed down after 35 days — the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.

Wade said during the last shutdown, he saw many federal workers turn to the food bank for help.

"This kind of disruption in people's lives will cause them to need more help from the food bank," he said.