Unpaid Federal Workers Get Food Assistance During Shutdown

SAN DIEGO–As the government shutdown moves into its fourth week, Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is working to make sure that local federal employees and their families can access food assistance to help with expenses and provide help to offset other necessities.

JFS is providing supplemental groceries, including non-perishables and produce, to furloughed federal employees every Tuesday until the shutdown ends. Special food assistance will be available starting Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus, 8788 Balboa Ave., in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego. Those seeking temporary assistance need to bring identification in the form of Federal ID, CAC card or contractor ID.

“As a community with a lot of federal government employees and contractors, plus multiple military bases, we are committed to stepping up our food assistance efforts to help furloughed or unpaid workers during these challenging times,” said JFS CEO Michael Hopkins. “By offering supplemental groceries, we hope to ease the burden for affected workers and their families.”

According to the offices of U.S. Congressman Scott Peters, there are some 5,000 furloughed federal workers and contractors in San Diego County currently affected by the shutdown, with some of these impacted individuals and families reaching out for assistance with food for the first time.

“Many of these families are not as familiar with how to navigate food assistance networks and other public benefits programs,” said Hopkins, noting that JFS also can provide help tapping into additional resources to help defer payments and cover ongoing living expenses.

Hopkins knows many families already have to stretch their monthly paychecks and are worried about the impact the shutdown is having on their family budgets and savings. “This could have significant short- and long-term impacts especially with low-income families and those already struggling with making ends meet,” he said.

For information about food assistance, visit www.jfssd.org or call (858) 637-3210.