Furloughed federal workers stood in a food bank line as the government shutdown continues and families try to figure out how to put food on the table.
The Capital Area Food Bank began free food distributions for federal workers and contractors on Tuesday in Hyattsville. With an hour to go before food was handed out, a long line of people waited for help.
Federal workers told News4 how tough it’s been to not get paid but still need to pay their bills. Some wanted to show their faces on camera, and some did not.
One federal employee said she was dismayed to need to ask for help for the first time.
“I’ve not been in this predicament ever. I served 21 years in the military. I’ve been a federal government employee for the past two years. The reason I wanted to become a federal government employee was stability. That stability, that rug, if you will, has been snatched away from us,” she said.
Furloughed federal worker Shimere Cooper also lined up.
“It’s pretty difficult. You’re trying to figure out how you’re going to pay your bills, eat, but we have to make a way. That’s why I’m here today,” she said.
How federal workers and contractors can get food bank help
Anyone with a federal ID can get a box of shelf-stable food. The boxes in Hyattsville included pasta, rice and shelf-stable milk. No Limits Outreach Ministries was collecting donations.
The distribution days and locations for federal workers and contractors are:
TUESDAYS:
- 12-2 p.m. — No Limits Outreach Ministries (7721 Barlowe Road, Hyattsville, Maryland)
WEDNESDAYS:
- 10-11:30 a.m. — So What Else (6116 Executive Blvd., North Bethesda, Maryland)
FRIDAYS:
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — United Community (7511 Fordson Road, Alexandria, Virginia)
- 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Urban Outreach (5343 C St. SE, Washington, D.C)
SATURDAYS:
- 1-2:30 p.m. — LindaBen Foundation (10739 Tucker St., Beltsville, Maryland)
The Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Lifeline is 202-644-9807. Go here for more information.
Also in Hyattsville, the meal delivery company Healthy Fresh Meals is giving food donations to federal workers. People in need can sign up to receive about three to five meals at a time. Founder Shana Greenbaum said she used to work for the government and knows what it’s like to be furloughed. Now, she gives back.
“It’s always been something really important to me, to make sure that people are fed. It’s how I grew up. My mom always said, if you have food and somebody else doesn’t, you give it away, because that’s just what you do,” she said.
For Healthy Fresh Meals, email 2025federalshutdown@gmail.com to sign up.
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