Furloughed fed says she’s standing in Maryland food bank line after 21 years in military

Furloughed federal workers in Maryland stood in a food bank line Tuesday as the government shutdown continues and families try to figure out how to put food on the table.

The Capital Area Food Bank began free food distributions for federal workers and contractors this week in Hyattsville. With an hour to go before food was handed out, a long line of people waited for help.

Federal workers told NBC4 Washington how tough it’s been to not get paid but still need to pay their bills. Some wanted to show their faces on camera, and some did not.

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One federal employee said she was dismayed to need to ask for help for the first time.

“I’ve not been in this predicament ever. I served 21 years in the military. I’ve been a federal government employee for the past two years. The reason I wanted to become a federal government employee was stability. That stability, that rug, if you will, has been snatched away from us,” she said.

Furloughed federal worker Shimere Cooper also lined up.

“It’s pretty difficult. You’re trying to figure out how you’re going to pay your bills, eat, but we have to make a way. That’s why I’m here today,” she said.

Anyone with a federal ID can get a box of shelf-stable food. The boxes in Hyattsville included pasta, rice and milk. No Limits Outreach Ministries was collecting donations.

Also in Hyattsville, the meal delivery company Healthy Fresh Meals is giving food donations to federal workers. People in need can sign up to receive about three to five meals at a time. Founder Shana Greenbaum said she used to work for the government and knows what it’s like to be furloughed. Now, she gives back.

“It’s always been something really important to me, to make sure that people are fed. It’s how I grew up. My mom always said, if you have food and somebody else doesn’t, you give it away, because that’s just what you do,” she said. NBC News