A group of fired and furloughed workers – some from the USDA – gathered on the National Mall outside USDA headquarters on Thursday to help collect canned goods and other perishables for local families in need.

As the government shutdown stretches on, the USDA, which manages the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), announced on Sunday that no benefits will be distributed starting Nov. 1.

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Both furloughed and essential federal workers have gone without pay for nearly a month. Now, with SNAP benefits at risk, these workers are concerned not only for their own families but also for the 42 million people who rely on the program to eat every month.

“We exist as a tiny portion of the local safety net here in D.C.,

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