SALT LAKE CITY–In addition to reaching out to credit unions, thousands of furloughed federal workers are now actively reaching out to banks for help—in this case, food banks.
Separately, many of the major auto manufacturers are also now allowing federal workers who are missing paychecks to skip their car loan payments.
With the shutdown in its fourth week, furloughed federal employees struggling to cope with life without a paycheck are turning to food banks and food pantries to feed their families, according to several organizations across the country, CNN reported.
“Calls from anxious workers have poured into agencies, and some of them are bracing for what they expect will be an increased demand for food at a time when donations are typically low,” CNN reported. “Some organizations are already seeing a spike.”
Over the past two weeks, more than 280 federal employees have used a food bank that Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah operates, which is a 50% increase over the 566 regular clients who used services during that time, the organization's director, Maresha Bosgieter, told CNN.
Most of the federal employees who used the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank, which is open four days a week, work for the Internal Revenue Service, Bosgieter said.
Pop-Up Markets
Last weekend in the Washington area, more than 2,400 people showed up at five pop-up markets for out-of-work federal employees and contractors. The attendance was more than double the amount of expected attendance at the markets organized by Capital Area Food Bank, the report said.
CEO Radha Muthia said more than 50 calls a day from furloughed employees, contractors and others poured in to the food bank's Hunger Lifeline, which offers resources such as locations ofnearby food pantries, over the past two weeks. That's a roughly a 15% to 20% increase in the call volume over the same time last year, Muthiah said.
Car Manufacturers Offer Relief
Separately, Hyundai said it is allowing federal employees affected by the government shutdown to defer their car payments for one month. Hyundai joins General Motors, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Lexus, plus other automakers that run financing through J.P. Morgan Chase, in offering short-term relief.