Thousands of East Bay residents have generously donated food and services for struggling federal workers who have not received a paycheck during the 35-day government shutdown.
With reports of federal workers turning to food pantries, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is set to allocate up to $1 million to the Alameda County Community Food Bank at next Tuesday’s board meeting in order to alleviate food insecurity for federal employees.
“There is an immediate need to support federal workers, some of who are furloughed and others who are working without pay. If the shutdown continues, the need of CalFresh recipients will spike later in February,” according to a memo from Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan. CalFresh is the county’s food stamp program.
The Board of Supervisors’ proposed funding plan is one-time only and would come from its Safety Net Reserve Fund, according to the county. The expenditure would be spread over one year, with $165,000 reserved for the first month. The county believes the Alameda County Community Food Bank, through efficiencies, can stretch $100,000 in monthly funding into $700,000 in food purchases for those in need.
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