NEW ORLEANS — United Way of Southeast Louisiana is launching a fund to benefit federal workers, contractors and others impacted by the ongoing government shutdown.
According to United Way officials, 100 percent of the donations will go to local nonprofits that provide direct emergency assistance to people impacted by the shutdown, providing food, rent and mortgage payments and other basic expenses.
“United Way understands the struggle of living one paycheck away from financial ruin all too well, and it’s now become a reality for thousands of more households in our region – two times over,” said Michael Williamson, UWSELA President and CEO. “The United for Southeast Louisiana Fund is an opportunity for our community to give back to the folks who keep our country running and need a helping hand to get through this crisis.”
As the government shutdown enters its 35th day, furloughed workers have missed two paychecks.
On Thursday, a splintered Senate voted down competing Democratic and Republican plans for ending the partial government shutdown, but the twin setbacks prompted a burst of bipartisan talks aimed at temporarily halting the longest-ever closure of federal agencies and the damage it's inflicting around the country.