By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Dinner was served Wednesday evening in Bowling Green for furloughed federal workers and their families hurt by the government shutdown.
A half-hour into the dinner, no workers showed – but those cooking up the meal weren’t discouraged.
“I think the need is going to grow with time,” said Joe DeMare, of the Wood County Green Party. He and the other volunteers plan to serve up dinner again if the shutdown drags on.
The free dinner – organized by the Green Party and Trinity United Methodist Church, and assisted by the Brown Bag Food Project – featured pizza from DeMare’s homemade recipe, vegetables and salad donated by Apio.
The organizers know there are people out there hurting. United Way has estimated there are more than 250 federal workers furloughed in Wood, Lucas and Ottawa counties. In addition to those not getting their paychecks, there are others who use federal programs who will soon feel the pinch of no food stamps or WIC assistance if the shutdown lingers.
Though few showed for the dinner, the organizers felt better for offering the help.
“The idea of stopping the government for a political dispute is against the Green Party philosophy,” DeMare said.
And as far as the church – “that’s just part of their DNA,” said Helen Dukes, who is a member of both the church and the Green Party. “I think the only way to overcome the depression right now is to do something. Otherwise, it just gets worse.”
The Green Party is accustomed to being on the outside of traditional government. The group believes in decentralization – acting on local levels to counter national problems, DeMare said.
“We can’t afford to give up,” he said. “The issues we fight for are too important to just let slide.”
The volunteers have pledged to continue offering the meals until the shutdown is over.
“It takes time for things like this to take traction,” DeMare said. “As the need becomes more dire, I think more people will come.”
Wednesday’s dinner did receive a lot of support from the community, Dukes said.
“I’ve really been heartened by the number of people who said, ‘Oh good, somebody is helping,’” she said.
The dinner is also a symbol of solidarity with federal workers who are furloughed.
“So they know people care about what’s happening to them,” Dukes said.
