Five pop-up food banks are opening in the D. C. area Saturday for federal workers
The government shutdown became the longest in American history overnight, leaving 800,000 federal employees furloughed or working without pay. Federal workers received $0 pay stubs on Friday, their first pay day covering the shutdown period.
In light of the struggles federal employees may be having in trying to live without pay, the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) says it is holding five free pop-up markets in the Washington, D. C. area, which has the highest concentration of federal workers in the country. It says the markets are being held in Giant stores in Virginia, Washington and Maryland, offering fresh produce and shelf-stable food items for the first 250 federal workers who arrive between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Saturday.
The CAFB published a blog post describing efforts by volunteers to prepare for the pop-up food banks, describing the efforts of 80 volunteers packing 30,000 pounds of produce for the pop-up markets, including assistance from some federal workers.
