Gov’t shutdown stops food delivery for seniors

The government shutdown is hitting 450 U.P. families in a big way.

Alger-Marquette Community Action Board (AMCAB) Officials say there will be no delivery of the Commodity Supplement Food Program boxes for low–income seniors in Marquette and Alger Counties this week because the funds have run out.

The food was to be delivered October 11 and 12.

“We have senior that will be running short on food this month and scramble to find other resources.  I feel so bad because so many of our seniors depend on this box of food,” Brown AMCAB Nutrition Services Director Lori Stephens said.  “They call it the cheese box because they get a five pound box of cheese to last them for the month.  A lot of them really depend on it.  It’s food to supplement what they have in their household to  help carry their food budget to the end of the month.”

Here is how you can help:  donate food or money to area food pantries to make more available to needy families, and contact your local legislators to express concern about the impact of the shutdown.