Food Shelves Worry Shutdown Threatens Supply

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota government shutdown is threatening delivery of some 700,000 pounds of food due at the state food shelves in the next two months.

Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, says the food comes from a federal program. Moriarty says its delivery depends on a single state employee who can work in a certain data management program.

She'll go before a special master next week to ask that the employee be declared essential.

Byron Laher directs a program that runs three food shelves in the northern metro suburbs that serve 1,300 families per month. Laher says federal donations make up a third of their giveaways. Laher says the food shelves aren't in position to replace the federal food if they can't get it.

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