Flushing, Queens Image by wikicommons

As the government shutdown reaches its fourth week, the Flushing Jewish Community Council in Queens, New York, has started feeding federal employees and their families, donating boxes of food items and hot dinners, Queens News and Community (QNS) reported.

The council is distributing food at a local synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom. Paul Engel, executive director of FJCC, told QNS that the organization has items such as canned fruits, canned vegetables, cereal, pasta, tuna fish and salmon.

“Mostly the people that come are Medicaid people, but I saw that there’s a food pantry in Long Island that is doing this,” Engel said. “There are people who could probably use some temporary relief, since they’re not getting paychecks and we also offer other services.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

FJCC is also providing services such as English classes, ESL/civics class and individual, couple, family and group therapy.

Masbia of Queens, a nonprofit soup kitchen and food pantry, is also offering hot meals and groceries, according to QNS. Its two other locations in Brooklyn will also have sit-down dinners.

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount