Some Minnesota families could see their welfare benefits cut off next summer. The cutoff is part of a federal welfare reform act passed in 1996 that set a time limit for benefits. The clock will run out for the first Minnesotans next July. The state legislature stepped in earlier this year, passing a bill that allows some recipeints to get an extension. But not everyone will qualify. Over the next few weeks, we'll talk to some Minnesotans on welfare. Some of them will likely qualify for the extension; others won't. Today we'll hear from Shirley Hawkins. Shirley has been on welfare for seven years. She recently started her first job. She's working at a packaging company, doing everything from creating store displays to stuffing calendars into plastic bags. Shirely says the work is monotonous, but there are some unexpected benefits... she's less shy now, and her seven-year-old daugher respects her.