Food bank offering help to federal workers in southeast Minnesota

With President Trump and Congressional Democrats at an impasse over funding the government, a local nonprofit is reaching out to federal workers who may be hurt by the political standoff.

Channel One Regional Food Bank says it’s ready to assist the 1,600 federal employees in southeast Minnesota affected by the government shutdown. By Saturday, the shutdown is set to become the longest in U.S. history.

The Rochester-based food bank says qualification to receive food assistance is based on household income for that week, not for the full year. That means many of the federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown may qualify for services at food shelves/pantries.

“This is a great example of why food shelves are so important,” Virginia Merritt, Channel One’s director, said in a news release this week. “People have unexpected things happen in their lives that they can’t control and no one should have to worry about not having the food they need.”

For further information about how services operate, how to sign up, and how to locate a food shelf or pantry, call 507-424-1707.