As the holidays approach and SNAP delays continue, local leaders and volunteers joined in passing turkeys through an especially boisterous 20th annual “Chain of Giving” at the Greater Boston Food Bank on Thursday.

“Twenty years is an incredible milestone, and it takes so much to build an effort that continues throughout that time,” said Mayor Michelle Wu as volunteers gathered in the food bank to offload turkeys into the food bank. “But in some ways, it feels like this year right now, we need it more than ever.”

Greater Boston Food Bank representatives said the 20th anniversary of the annual holiday-prep tradition saw the biggest crowd yet, including the mayor, Gov. Maura Healey, many state lawmakers, Boston city councilors and more.

The mass of public officials and volunteers unloaded and passed about 1,200 turkeys into the food bank Thursday morning in a lively assembly line. The food bank organization serves 190 cities through 351 locations across the state.

The annual tradition comes as November SNAP food stamp benefits continue to be delayed for around 42 million Americans and over 1 million in Massachusetts amid the ongoing record-breaking government shutdown. The stoppage of food aid is unprecedented, as not other presidential administration has delayed SNAP during a shutdown.

Despite court orders, Healey said Thursday, the Trump administration has not sent out any funding to states and has sent “mixed messages.”

“The Trump administration has told us nothing about when we’re going to get funding,” said Healey. … “They’ve also sent a memo to the states saying how they’re going to calculate this, and they’re only going to partially fund it, which means that people in Massachusetts, a good number, more than half are not even going to get benefits. And then those who are getting benefits, they may get half their benefit amount.”

Healey said the state is “ready to go” in delivering funding to SNAP recipients when it is released.

At the event Thursday, Greater Boston Food Bank President Catherine D’Amato said the organization has seen a 26% increase in demand at pantries since the start of November, or 100 to 300 more requests at each pantry.

The Project Bread FoodSource Hotline, which offers free consultation and help to those facing hunger, has seen four times as many calls, D’Amato said.

“Individuals and families who have never had to seek food out before, they don’t know they don’t know where to go,” said D’Amato. “You have federal workers who are in this situation, who have been furloughed or not paid, and now you have 1.1 million on SNAP. It’s very discouraging, and it’s a very disheartening, because it didn’t need to happen. And in the meantime, we’re going to be here to help in whatever way we can.”

Speakers Thursday highlighted the giving of people and retailers, including donations from Stop and Shop, Shaw’s and Star Market, and efforts like the R4 Technologies recovery and delivery of 10,000 pounds of food.

Local officials encourage people to pitch in during this “extraordinary time of need.”

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Residents can contact their local food pantry or food bank to see what they need, consider volunteering, or donate to supports like the United Way Response Fund. D’Amato noted people can visit gbfb.org/need-food to seek the local food pantry in their area.

“I don’t know how long this will last,” Healey said. “I continue to call on the President and Congress to reopen the government, but right now, we’ve got to do all that we can to take care of one another, to help one another.”