Feel-Good Friday: Americans Step in and Step Up to Give Neighbors Hope During Government Shutdown

In the midst of a government shutdown that is turning into one of the longest in recent history, the tragedy is that when government fails to do its job, it is the American people who suffer its effects. However, the silver lining is that these times present us with opportunities to show up where government has failed. It's the subject of this week's Feel-Good Friday.

Thirteen percent of Mississippi residents (1 in 8) are recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While there is no doubt a percentage of those 384,800 citizens who are simply milking the system, within that number there are working families with children, families who care for their elderly relatives, and disabled persons who legitimately need the assistance. With the expected gap in SNAP benefits starting November 1, the food relief organization, Extra Table, is stepping in to fill this gap, doubling its distribution to its 66 food pantries throughout the state.

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Hattiesburg, MS, Mayor Toby Barker said it best: "The shutdown is a reminder that the community must come together to support one another."

Community support should not just be about filling in gaps caused by the government. It should be the default for those in need. Perhaps if Mississippi keeps this up, they can reduce that number of residents dependent on government food assistance. The beauty part is that Utah and Kansas, two states that have some of the lowest percentage of SNAP recipients, are also taking the opportunity to expand their assistance to citizens through their network of food banks and farmers. You can read more about this here.

This Is How You Do It: Distribute Food, Not Junk

In the free state of Florida, despite how much the state does right, their unemployment apparatus is faulty and failing citizens. The failures existent in this system have exacerbated one woman's already precarious circumstances, as a local NBC News station WPTV reported.

A Port St. Lucie woman faces homelessness after waiting five months for Florida's Department of Commerce to determine her eligibility for unemployment benefits, highlighting ongoing systemic issues with the state's re-employment assistance program.
Lena Hoti was laid off from her hotel housekeeping job about five months ago and applied for Florida's re-employment benefits in June. Despite weekly visits to her local CareerSource center in Fort Pierce, where staff connect her directly to the Florida Department of Commerce, she still hasn't received a decision on her claim.
"I've been waiting five months for them to decide whether I'm going to get these benefits or not," Hoti said. "Nobody can really give me a straight answer. And it's kind of frustrating."

I was single for 32 years of my adult life, and I had no children. Like Lena Hoti, I worked hard to find employment and remain employed, and I worked to live below my means. But precarious economic times can upend those plans, and childless, single women are the low man on the totem pole for government assistance of any kind.

Florida's re-employment benefit is capped at $275 per week. For Hoti, who rents a bedroom from a family in a Port St. Lucie apartment, that money represents a crucial lifeline.
"I need to pay my rent, and if I don't have this money, I'm going to end up on the street," Hoti said.
She has about two weeks before she must vacate her current living situation.
"I'm looking for shelters or anything, but there's really nothing in this area," Hoti said.

Along with WPTV, Fox 29 (WFLX) also picked up Hoti's story and featured her on their nightly newscast.

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On top of her employment and housing woes, Hoti's car broke down and she cannot afford to have it fixed. So, she relies on friends to drive her to the CareerSource center to look for work and to local food banks, so she can get groceries.

After this segment aired, one news viewer, who wished to remain anonymous, stepped up to cover Hoti's rent payments. The anonymous benefactor told WFLX News:

“It just really hit me hard. And I was like, I felt compelled to want to try and do something to help her,” said the viewer, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid potential scams. “Unfortunately, with the ... climate in the world today, good deeds, I believe, can get transformed into something bad for the person who’s trying to do good.”
“I’m not wealthy by any means. But when I looked at my finances and I was like, I am comfortable enough that I can do something for somebody else,” the donor said.
The gesture gives Hoti more than just a roof over her head while she sorts out the ongoing issues with the state.

Americans are generous givers, both individually and corporately. And we especially delight in helping to meet a need, as this gracious benefactor exhibited.

“Honestly, very grateful,” Hoti said. “It gives me hope that maybe I can. ... I think any little bit of kindness any of us can put out there for anybody is worth it.”

This personal boost also unplugged the blockage to her acquiring new work. On Wednesday, Hoti had a job interview. Fingers crossed that this door will open for her soon.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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