SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – The Senate on Thursday will vote on competing bills to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Caught in the middle of the standoff over border security are hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been paid in a month.
San Diego food banks and non-profits are feeling the pressure as the shutdown reaches the one-month mark. James Floros is the president and CEO of the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank. “A lot were able to handle that first paycheck, but now that second paycheck is going to be missed. We are getting numerous calls from federal employees that are facing a lot of hardship.”
As families go without pay, many of them are reaching the breaking point as they become unable to afford food and other household essentials. For some, local food banks and other organizations are the only place they can go for help.
“There is strain on that network because we need to bring more food in. It is creating some hardship but we are stepping up to the plate to make sure federal employees get the food they need,” said Floros.
In Encinitas, the Community Resource Center, CRC, is also dealing with an influx of federal families reaching out for help. “People who are living paycheck to paycheck and meeting their needs find themselves in a financial crisis,” said John Van Cleef.
The CRC is now pulling out all the stops to make sure the workers and other families not only get the food they need, but also important personal items. “It puts a demand on our supplies and we rely on our donors to help us meet those supplies,” said Van Cleef.
The CRC is hoping the community will come together to help fill the gap until the shutdown is over.