The City of Birmingham will have $1 million on hand to launch an emergency food relief fund as the federal government shutdown continues, according to Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
Due to the shutdown, SNAP benefits are set to expire on Saturday.
Woodfin said, "We're pulling $1 million out of the City of Birmingham's reserve fund to make sure no family in our city goes hungry while the federal government is shut down."
"While our federal elected officials are in this sunken place of power and politics, they have failed to put people first – instead protecting tax cuts for the few, while working families pay the price," Woodfin said. Birmingham will not sit around and let our children and families starve. We are taking immediate action because we have a moral obligation to take care of the general welfare of our residents. We are launching an emergency food relief fund and a citywide food drive starting next week in partnership with United Way, Christian Service Ministries, and faith and community groups across all 99 neighborhoods. We're going to focus on getting help directly to the people who need it most, and do whatever it takes to keep our children and families fed."
Alabama's Republican Congressional delegation has repeatedly blamed Democrats for not voting for a clean continuing resolution to open the federal government back up.
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