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As shutdown drags on, federal workers flock to food pantries
CBS "News" ^ | January 15, 2019 | By Megan Cerullo (D-CBS)

Posted on 01/15/2019 11:06:23 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Federal workers -- who haven't seen paychecks since before the government closed on Dec. 22 -- are lining up at food pantries across the U.S.

The Capital Area Food Bank, which operates in the Washington, D.C. area, hosted five pop-up food pantry locations after federal workers -- who missed their paychecks for the first time last Friday -- flooded the organization's "Hunger Lifeline" with calls for help, according to President and CEO Radha Muthiah.

Hotline representatives direct callers to the food pantries closest to their homes, and help make them aware of supplementary nutrition alternatives.

"We have seen an uptick in the number of calls from individuals who weren't traditionally clients to better understand the emergency food assistance network in our area should the shutdown persist," Muthiah told CBS. "Typically, SNAP [food stamps] recipients are the ones that come to food pantries but what we did this weekend was targeted to federal workers and contractors who typically earn more income but had missed paychecks," she said.

Workers were grateful for the extra assistance but fearful that it might not last as long as they need it to, she said. "The most common question we heard was, 'Can we count on you to be here next weekend?'"

Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, says this food bind is illustrative of "how many Americans are only one missed paycheck away from hunger."

He said the shutdown could become an "epic calamity" for hungry Americans should it last even another week.

"For most people pantries are a last resort. This is something that never should happen in a rational, reasonable world," he said. "But as long as this is happening we will make sure federal employees and contractors who are serving us don't go hungry."

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bias; fakenews; journalism; media; shutdown
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To: IamConservative
Amazing how many people that live so close to the edge financially.

Even more amazing how much Big Media lies to us about practically EVERYTHING.

61 posted on 01/15/2019 2:48:20 PM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: subterfuge

The article said many had their last check in December, nearly a month ago.


62 posted on 01/15/2019 2:55:55 PM PST by Patriotic1 (Dic mihi solum facta, domina - Just the facts, ma'am)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

These federal workers had plenty of warning to put all the food they needed into their homes.

They didn’t bother. Now a few weeks later they want me to feel sorry for them.

fIdiots.


63 posted on 01/15/2019 3:58:22 PM PST by DoughtyOne (01/26/18 DJIA 30 stocks $26,616.71 48.794% > open 11/07/16 $215.71 from 50% increase in 1.2183 yrs)
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To: DungeonMaster
Too many people either live paycheck to paycheck or are portrayed as having to do that.

I'll confess to having not enough sympathy for anyone who chooses to live that way, especially after knowing some people who manage to live responsibly on limited income. (Know anyone with unlimited income? Yeah, neither do I. ;)

Responsible adults live beneath their means, setting aside some funds to prepare for unforeseen "rainy day" situations. (And for any "nonessential" federal employees, this was far from unforeseen, as it's always been a matter of when, not if.)

Sure, there will be some federal employees who, through no fault of their own, find themselves struggling after missing one or two paychecks (e.g. their savings were recently consumed in a catastrophe). But they are very few and very far between. The rest are only reaping what they sowed, the consequences of their own poor choices.

I remain confident that most of America knows this to be true, despite the propaganda campaigns promoted by the Left.

64 posted on 01/22/2019 1:30:18 PM PST by newgeezer ("... it is [the people's] right and duty to be at all times armed." - Thomas Jefferson, 5 June 1824)
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To: DungeonMaster

Too many people either live paycheck to paycheck or are portrayed as having to do that.


Portrayed? Sounds like basing culpability on the seriousness of the charge.

You can portray in one hand and .... well, you know the rest.


65 posted on 01/22/2019 1:42:56 PM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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