A court order was issued on Monday, compelling the Trump Administration to fund half of the usual Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits this month. It came after millions of Americans who depend on the program are left heading to food pantries to put food on the table for their families.

One Chicago-area family is turning to a food bank in Garfield Park for the first time to bridge the gap.

Charlene Echoles is shopping at the Above and Beyond Free Food Pantry for the first time, with two kids at home and one on the way.

"It's very expensive to live. Not even just feed. Just to live," Echoles said.

She said she's working and so is her husband, but when they didn't get their SNAP benefits over the weekend, they had to find a way to make up the difference.

"When we found out November first wasn't coming? That's when things got really hard for us," she said. "So basically finding out about pantries was a lifesaver for me and my family."

The Trump administration is now required to partially fund SNAP following a judge's ruling. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services said benefits will be half-funded this month and, "their decision to fund reduced benefits will make it significantly more complicated for states to issue the funds, which will delay November SNAP benefits to households by days or weeks."

"You don't know how much they're going to give you," Scholes said.

Not only how much, but when. She said half of their benefits won't be enough for them, so she'll continue relying on food pantries like the one in Garfield Park.

"You have to choose between bills. Your kids eating, or you're not eating," she said.

"The line has continuously been this long, it will be right down the block. It will be consistent throughout the day. When I arrive here around seven in the morning, we already have people lined up to make sure they get in and get the food they need," Ken Cozzi said.

Cozzi, who is in charge of the pantry, said they don't even open until noon.

"We have more than doubled the number of people who normally come through our doors," he said.

"Definitely going to help us getting through November," 

A spokesperson for the state Department of Human Services said they will continue to update customers as they receive more information on benefit timing, but said there will be delays.