Gov. Polis Asks Coloradans To Help Replenish Food Banks Exhausted During Shutdown
DENVER (CBS4) - Gov. Jared Polis wants Coloradans to come together to help refill food banks across the state. Many of the banks have been nearly depleted because of the federal government shutdown which lasted more than a month.
The shutdown brought many Colorado families to the food banks to help put food on the table as they went without paychecks.
State officials say with the increased demand, food banks are now turning to their reserve food stock.
Polis spoke at the Food Bank of the Rockies on Monday.
"The food bank that serves southern Colorado has seen enormous increases in El Paso County where federal workers without paychecks are scambling to make ends meet, and we've seen it across the Denver metro area as well," he said.
Polis says every $1 can provide four meals; and monetary donations can be made to endhungerco.org.
President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday to reopen the government for three weeks without border wall funding.
With the temporary continuing resolution, some of the affected federal workers will get back pay "quickly or as soon as possible," the president said.
Feb. 8 is the latest when they would get their first paycheck of the year.