Foodbanks ill-equipped for federal shutdown

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Foodbanks operated by Second Harvest aren’t equipped to pick up much slack when the federal nutrition program SNAP is caught up in the government shutdown that began 26 days ago. Sarah Moberg, chief executive at Second Harvest, which serves 1,000 foodbanks and meal programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin, said: “There is simply not enough food in the system.” Moberg called for donations to local foodbanks and also for volunteers to distribute food to meet an expected surge of desperate people at foodbanks. Normally recipients in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program don’t use foodbanks but shop with federal waivers at grocery stores. Nationally 42 million people use federal food assistance. This is one in eight people. They average $187 a month.