WATERVILLE — Eryn Merriam remembers what it was like to not know where her next meal was coming from.

Whenever she lost a job or housing, the Waterville resident used food stamps to get by. Now, working full-time as a cook and able to afford groceries, Merriam was devasted to hear that federal food assistance had been put on hold for November.

Merriam posted anonymously in a Waterville community social media group in late October, offering to help cook for people, and the post gained hundreds of views and shares overnight.

“I realized that the need was so great,” she said. “The messages I was getting were heartwarming. Elderly, disabled, kids, families just getting on their feet ― everyone just needs a little bit of help.”

Merriam and her wife, Liz Merriam, are delivering meals to people in the Waterville community in hopes of filling some of the gap left by the uncertainty surrounding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, amid the ongoing government shutdown, affecting the tens of thousands of Mainers who use food stamps.

Across Maine, businesses, community members and advocacy organizations have stepped up. Restaurants are offering special deals, free little libraries are being converted to free little pantries and social media groups have become forums for people to ask for help.

The Merriams coined their group The Spice of Life. A form circulated on their Facebook page asks respondents about their situation and what supplies they need most, whether it’s kitchen staples, ingredients, nonperishable items or personal hygiene products.

In early November, they delivered baskets to 20 homes in Waterville, Norridgewock, Vassalboro, Oakland and other central Maine communities. Along with cleaning supplies, basic ingredients and cookies, the baskets also included homecooked shepherd’s pie and chop suey.

“Some people don’t have the luxury to be able to cook themselves a meal,” Eryn Merriam said. “It’s just really important to me, especially during this month that’s so food-centric, that people have the basic necessities that they need.”

Eryn Merriam has been a cook at fine dining restaurants, fast food joints and now, a Waterville nursing facility. She moved to Maine from California more than a decade ago and relocated to Waterville after being homeless for a short period.

Then she met Liz, a Maine native and direct support worker, who shared her love for helping people.

They also share the same shade of bright blue hair.

While community members have donated hundreds to their project, the couple has spent $600 out of pocket filling the baskets, which Liz Merriam hopes feel more like care packages than boxes of food. They’re stuffed with blankets and lined with colorful tissue paper.

One Waterville resident, an older woman who lost SNAP benefits this month, said her basket arrived the same day she got a 30-day notice to move out of her building. The Spice of Life delivery made her feel better, she said.

“They came to the door, and, of course, I invited them in and met with them, and they’re just lovely people,” she said. “They came out in a caring way. It wasn’t like: ‘I’m running up to your door and dropping off these goods, and I’m off.'”

The pair does the bulk of preparation at night or when they have a few minutes off work. A few volunteers have offered to help pack meals, Merriam said, which could help them continue The Spice of Life even after SNAP benefits return.

The government shutdown is the longest in U.S. history, as of Friday marking 38 days of furloughed workers, neglected national parks and understaffed airports. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund food stamps for the month of November by Friday, but the White House has appealed the ruling.

On Friday, Gov. Janet Mills said her administration would distribute November SNAP benefits to Mainers starting Nov. 10.

No matter what happens, the Merriams say they will continue to help. The next round of baskets is slated to go out Nov. 16.

“When the government turns its back on the people it’s supposed to take care of, I’m going to step up to help,” Eryn Merriam said.