ORLANDO, Fla. – A Title I elementary school in Orlando is turning hardship into community action after many of its families were hit hard by the recent federal government shutdown.

Pinewood Elementary hosted its annual Thanksgiving distribution event Wednesday morning, but staff say the need this year was unlike anything they’ve seen.

Teachers at the school say several parents lost paychecks during the shutdown, while others temporarily lost access to SNAP benefits, leaving many families struggling to afford groceries just days before Thanksgiving.

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“We see you. We hear you. We feel your needs,” teacher Nisha Phillip Malahoo said. “We are here for you. We need to depend on each other. And our

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