Food bank steps in as federal workers miss pay during shutdown

Thousands of federal workers are going without pay as the government shutdown nears the one-month mark.

Communities across the country are stepping up to make sure people don’t go hungry.

In the Washington, D.C., area, the Capital Area Food Bank hosted a special food drive on Tuesday for federal employees and government contractors.

Organizers said they had prepared for about 400 people, and roughly 270 households came through — some waiting up to four hours for food boxes filled with fresh vegetables and nonperishable items.

Some members of Congress visited the event to meet with those receiving assistance.

“These are tough times for them. They seem pretty resilient — I don’t want to say upbeat, but positive, I think, given the difficult circumstances,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryla