A person walks with a meal from chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen as they distribute more than 1100 meals for federal workers and their families in Canal Park, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

World Central Kitchen, a US-based not-for-profit, began serving free meals to furloughed federal workers in Washington, DC, as the government shutdown entered its 27th day.

Nearly a month into the US government shutdown, around 670,000 federal employees have been furloughed, while about 730,000 are working without pay. 830,000 employees are working with some form of pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. This has left many to queue up in front of food banks, which are also struggling to deal with the influx .

Free food for furloughed federal workers

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