DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - April 1 marks some much-needed relief for families who rely on government programs to buy fresh food at the grocery store. There's a call on social media for shoppers to give these families priority as stores are expected to be busier than normal.

The first of the month is the day Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recipients receive a reload of their benefits.

With the outbreak of coronavirus, grocery stores have been seeing emptier shelves as residents stock up in order to stay at their homes.

This is why people on social media are asking shoppers to give some space to low-income families who had to wait for their WIC funds to be replenished before going to buy groceries, especially during these trying times.

A couple of Dallas city council members have echoed this call.

In March, the WIC program received an increase in funding and flexibility after $500 million went to the state agencies due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While the City of Dallas did not release an official statement to shoppers, it did make a post on Facebook that read:

While it is true that WIC participants receive their benefits reload on the first day of each month, they can use those benefits any day and are not restricted to shopping on certain days or certain times. Additionally, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the state has relaxed some of the specific criteria related to the WIC program food packages in order to provide more options for participants and to make shopping faster and easier at this difficult time. Participants with any questions about eligible foods or program criteria are encouraged to call the City of Dallas WIC program at 214-670-7200.

In-person office visits are closed due to the coronavirus, but Dallas will be offering WIC benefits by phone until the end of April.