AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Oct. 17, the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) held food distribution events at Fort Hood and at the Austin airport focused on federal employees and their families, according to a press release from the charity.
CTFB CEO Sari Vatske said the distributions were held to show federal workers that “their community stands with them.
“As our military and civilian federal workers continue to serve our country, we want to ensure they have the resources they need,” Vatske said in the release. “These special distributions are one way we can meet them where they are and say thank you for their continued service.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson was at the AUS event, CTFB said. Per the release, he said the shutdown impacts “thousands” of Central Texas residents.
“Thousands of Central Texas federal employees are worried that they won’t be able to put food on the table because of not being paid,” Watson said. “No one should have to go hungry because they chose a career in public service. That’s why we’re stepping up to take care of our neighbors who take care of us every day.”
While the press release doesn’t say how many workers were served at AUS, it notes around 850 families were helped by the Fort Hood event. More than 650 people are federal workers at AUS.
The nonprofit said its reach covers 21 Texas counties that are home to around 76,000 federal workers. It also said it understands this may be many workers’ first time asking for help.
CTFB provides food assistance through multiple partner organizations, and those can be found via its website. The group also said increased demand due to the shutdown has strained its resources; it asked for those who wish to donate or volunteer to do so online.
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