FALMOUTH — Gov. Janet Mills said Wednesday that her administration is releasing an additional $1.25 million in funding for food pantries and anti-hunger programs in a bid to keep nearly 170,000 low-income Maine families from losing assistance during the federal government shutdown.

Mills said the funding would be distributed through the Good Shepherd Food Bank and the Area Agencies on Aging to support programs such as Meals on Wheels and other anti-hunger organizations.

“When the federal government fails, Maine will not,” Mills said in a written statement. “When challenges arise, Maine people step up.”

Mills is using $1 million from the governor’s contingency account and the John T. Gorman Foundation is providing $250,000. The Portland nonprofit noted that 55,000 children could lose food assistance.

Heather Paquette, president of Good Shepherd, said in a written statement that the funding will help support nearly 600 food pantries and other partner organizations across the state.

“Our partners on the front lines are facing an overwhelming need for food right now and these funds will go to work immediately to help ensure everyone in Maine has access to the food they need to feed themselves and their families during this uncertain time,” Paquette said.

The Trump administration has said benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes known as food stamps, will end on Saturday because of a lack of funding. Maine typically receives about $29 million per month in federal SNAP funding.

Mills’ announcement came after she told reporters earlier Wednesday that her administration was “considering all options” to respond to the loss of benefits, including calling lawmakers into a special session of the Legislature and possibly tapping the state’s roughly $1 billion “rainy day” fund.

“My administration is continuing to evaluate all options and push for solutions in Washington,” the governor said in a written statement. “One of the things I love about Maine is that we take care of each other, which is more important now than ever. I encourage Maine people to donate to your local food bank, check on your neighbors, and support your community in the face of significant hardship caused by this needless federal shutdown.”

The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats refused to back a stopgap spending measure to fund government through most of November.

Democrats wanted the spending bill to include, among other things, an extension of enhanced health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year, which they say will lead to steep premium increases and cause many people to lose coverage.

Democrats, including Mills, have placed the blame on Republicans, because they control the federal government and have refused to negotiate with Democrats, whose votes are needed to pass the stopgap funding bill in the Senate.

“Get this done,” Mills told reporters after a ribbon cutting ceremony on Mackworth Island. “It’s about health care. It’s about food for hungry children and seniors. It’s about doing things for people that they ought to have been doing all along.”

Some other states are also announcing emergency funding for food banks and food assistance programs in anticipation of the loss of SNAP benefits. Minnesota, for example, has announced $4 million for food assistance programs, and New York is committing $30 million.

Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, are supporting the Republicans’ stopgap funding bill, as is Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey on Monday joined a multistate lawsuit seeking to force the Trump administration to use $5 billion in contingency funding approved by Congress and continue providing benefits under the SNAP.

Mills, who recently entered the race to challenge Collins for her Senate seat, blamed President Donald Trump for the coming crisis.

“There’s only one person holding up these SNAP benefits,” Mills said. “He’s traveling in Asia and busy designing and building a $300 million palatial ballroom for himself, while children are going without food and seniors are going without meals.”

Sen. Rick Bennett, an independent from Oxford who is running for governor next year, called on Mills to bring lawmakers back for a special session to address the loss of SNAP benefits.

“I appreciate the Governor taking action, but $1.25 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the $29 million in monthly food assistance Maine families receive through SNAP,” Bennett said. “The Governor should convene the Legislature so we can identify additional funding sources and prepare for the possibility of a prolonged shutdown. Maine can’t replace all federal dollars, but we can — and must — do everything possible to ensure no Mainer goes hungry. This crisis demands leadership.”

Legislative leaders did not respond to inquiries Wednesday about whether they would support a special session. In a written statement, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, said he was appreciative of the funding announced by the governor.

“I am grateful for the Governor’s work to ensure that — at least in the short term — Maine kids and families will be able to access the food they need despite the cruelty of the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans,” Fecteau said. “Withholding federal food assistance and leaving 170,000 Mainers at risk of going hungry is unconscionable, and anyone who defends this tactic should be ashamed.”

Likewise, Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, applauded the governor’s action but did not say whether she supported a special legislative session.

“I’m pleased that the Governor has taken quick action to get Mainers fed, even as vital food and nutrition support are being held hostage by political games in Washington,” Daughtry said in an emailed statement Wednesday night. “At the same time, these funds are a temporary bandage to a catastrophic federal failure. I, and my caucus, will work tirelessly to find creative ways to lessen the impact of these cruel cuts, while continuing to demand the Trump administration reinstate these funds and fulfill their obligation to the people who elected them.”

The Mills administration said that 12.5% of the state’s population relies on food stamps, but in some counties the percentage is much higher.

Of those relying on food stamps, 75% are families, including nearly 55,000 children. Additionally, 53,000 people with disabilities and 40,300 seniors receive SNAP, the administration said.

Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this report.