Hy-Vee is stepping up to help feed area children and families who may be affected by federal food assistance funding woes amid the government shutdown.

Participating Hy-Vee locations with hot food service will offer free meals for children 12 and younger from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7, according to a news release.

The grocer also will offer $3 hot meals from 4 to 7 p.m. for all customers.

The meals are for dine-in or carryout Monday through Friday.

“We want to support the communities that support our stores, which is why we are doing everything we can to make sure no one goes hungry during these uncertain times,” Hy-Vee Inc. CEO Anna Stoermer said in the release. “We are grateful for the suppliers and partners who have joined us to help feed families in need.”

The menu is as follows: baked potato with pulled pork Monday; spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and bread Tuesday; chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes Wednesday; chili and cinnamon roll Thursday; and HyChi sesame or orange chicken rice bowl with an appetizer Friday.

For those who want to help, Hy-Vee also is offering customers a chance to purchase a $5 or $10 food-donation bag in-store or online. Each bag includes essential pantry items that will be delivered to local food banks, according to the release.

Suppliers participating in Hy-Vee’s efforts include Acadian Crossing Consumer Products, Dole, Pillsbury, ProHealth, StarKist Tuna and SUNSET Mastronardi.

Hy-Vee also recently donated $100,000 to Feeding America partnered food banks across its region, according to the release. Hy-Vee’s donation will help maintain adequate inventory levels at local food banks to assist families.

Hy-Vee also donated $25,000 to DoorDash’s initiative to waive delivery and service fees for customers who receive food-assistance benefits, helping families stretch their budgets even further. Hy-Vee’s donations are in addition to the more than $70 million it provided through in-kind food donations over the past year.