People’s Pantry To Help Govt. Employees Affected by Shutdown

As the government shutdown begins its fourth week with no hope of it being put to an end, thousands of federal workers are going without their paychecks.

As a result, the People's Pantry in Toms River is stepping in to lend a helping hand.

The food pantry is going to be open every Saturday for the foreseeable future from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM to give government employees the chance to collect some of the "bare necessities."

Shelves are currently stocked with fresh meat, produce, bakery products and even baby food.

"We want everyone who has been impacted to know that we are here to help," said Pat Donaghue, Executive Director of the People's Pantry. "The money normally spent in the supermarket can be saved by these wonderful workers and in turn can be put to better use in their budgets. We will continue these hours for as long as needed."

The People's Pantry is located at 1769 Hooper Avenue in the BEAT Center.

If you are a government employee who plans on utilizing this service, just give a call to (732) 731-1419 to leave a message so people know when to expect you to arrive.

"Please don’t wait to come in! We want to help!," Donaghue said.

Thank you to our sister station, WOBM for the lead on this story.

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