Groceries cost more than ever, and the high prices couldn’t come at a worse time. Nearly two million Illinois residents depend on SNAP benefits, which are now being cut as the government shutdown drags on. How are Chicago-area residents filling the gap, especially with holidays around the corner? In the Loop checks in with Chicago Sun-Times consumer investigations reporter Stephanie Zimmermann, Wicker Park resident Gale Hethcoat and Common Pantry executive director Margaret O’Conor. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.