Federal workers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport got some relief Wednesday in the form of free food boxes as they face working without pay during the federal government shutdown.

It will collide in a few days with the expected suspension of about $72 million in monthly SNAP benefits. About 440,000 state residents rely on SNAP including some federal workers, organizers said.

Federal workers picked up boxes of shelf-stable food items — cereal, pasta, canned vegetables — at a table near the airport's rental car area.

A few of the workers, some wearing TSA jackets, declined comment.

Second Harvest Heartland, the Sanneh Foundation and the Metropolitan Airports Commission will offer the boxes once a week on Wednesdays for federal workers to pick up.

Sarah Moberg, chief exec

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