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Local food banks helping furloughed workers

PITTSBURGH — On Day 27 of the government shutdown, there is no end in sight as hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractors try to figure out how to provide for their families.

Here in Pennsylvania, the situation will soon grow dire for the nearly 2 million people on EBT and food stamp benefits.

The government shutdown is impacting federal employees, their families and several programs, so the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank has put together emergency food boxes.

"So kind of a nice mix to get folks going and really just get some food on the table quickly," said Charla Irwin-Buncher, the food bank's spokesperson. "Once that first paycheck wasn’t received, we started hearing from federal employees locally and really starting to understand and see the stress."

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People who get SNAP benefits are also beginning to feel the stress.

On average, 1.8 million people in Pennsylvania use the benefits in a given month.

"In previous shutdowns, they never lasted this long, so we’ve never felt this impact and we’ve never been asked to issue benefits early, in the way we’ve been asked this time around," said Lisa Watson, secretary for the Office of Income Maintenance.

She told Channel 11 the federal government made that request and the department issued February's benefits earlier this week.

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Watson said the month of March is up in the air.

"Somebody that’s counting on that to our food on the table for themselves and a child, they would be devastated to not receive those benefits in the month of March," she said.

Watson also said she thinks there has been some confusion with retailers accepting electronic benefit transfer cards.

Some grocery stores are already turning people away.

Posted by WPXI-TV Pittsburgh on Thursday, January 17, 2019

The cards can still be used if people still have money on them.

"So they can access these cards because I think there may be some confusion in the public about what’s happening and we don’t want our clients being turned away at the stores," Watson said.

RESOURCES:

  • There will be a Here to Help Community Resources Fair for federal workers on the South Side Friday, January 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Union Hall so that federal workers can come to find out about resources available to them. The resource fair will feature information and representatives from state and social service agencies including: L&I's Unemployment Compensation Service Center; the Department of Human Services, Allegheny County Assistance Office; PA CareerLink® Pittsburgh/Allegheny County (including a veterans services representative); Advantage Credit Counseling Services; and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
  • January 21, 2019 the Pittsburgh Food Bank  will be holding a special emergency food distribution at the facility in Duquesne from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • The Pittsburgh food bank will hold a special distribution for those impacted by the government shutdown at its facility  on January 24, 2019 located at 1 N Linden Street in Duquesne, PA at 5:30 p.m.