Compassion is not political,” Perry tells PEOPLE, calling the imminent loss of food assistance programs “heartbreaking”

Tyler Perry.Credit : Aaron J. Thornton/Getty

Tyler Perry is jumping in to help those facing food insecurity amid the ongoing government shutdown.

As Americans are set to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the filmmaker, 56, has donated nearly $1.4 million to organizations that support families most impacted. Those include Atlanta Community Food Bank, Baby2Baby, Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Caring for Others, All for Lunch, Ron Clark Academy and Goodr.

“If you’ve never been poor then you may not fully understand the life changing impact SNAP benefits mean to hard-working people, to our seniors and to our children,” the Madea director and star tells PEOPLE exclusively in a statement. “For millions of people, it could mean extreme hunger. For newborns, it could mean a lack of access to formula.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program program “provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being,” as The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated in an Oct. 18 letter.

The USDA announcement included the news that approximately 42 million Americans could lose their SNAP benefits as they project there will not be enough federal funding to cover the entirety of November.

Perry, who has spoken publicly about his childhood trauma and homelessness, calls the loss of vital food assistance programs “heartbreaking” in his statement. “Compassion is not political, it’s humanity and we seem to be missing both right now.”

Tyler Perry on July 10.Derek White/Getty

“Tyler knows firsthand what it feels like to be hungry and homeless,” a source close to the filmmaker tells PEOPLE. “Though he has achieved so much, those feelings never leave you. And when he sees injustices like this he always feels compelled to help. He is absolutely devastated by what is happening to so many people.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the ongoing government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, became the longest in American history, surpassing a 35-day closure during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House.

Other celebrities are also using their platforms to support vulnerable families affected by the shutdown. On Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel announced that it will host The Jimmy Kimmel Live! Big, Beautiful Food Bank, a food donation center benefiting the L.A. Food Bank and the St. Joseph Center, in Los Angeles. And at the Variety Power of Women event on Oct. 29, honoree Wanda Sykes shouted out single mothers that will be affected by the loss of SNAP benefits.