ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The countdown clock on a government shutdown ticks away. The deadline is one minute before midnight Saturday night.
Military families could be impacted should lawmakers fail to keep the government open. A shutdown means service members wouldn't get paid, and civilian employees would face potential layoffs.
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The Food Bank Neighborhood Hub at the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City serves about 100,000 families across 15 counties in Northeastern North Carolina. Included is U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City nearby which would be impacted in a government shutdown.
The food bank said it's ready to respond.
At any given time, there's 30 days worth of food stored at the food bank, according to spokesperson Brian Gray. The staff are watching closely for a potential government shutdown.
With the Coast Guard base nearby, Gray said the food bank could see an increased need should the government shut down.
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"Hopefully it won't be 30 days like it was in 2019," he said. "It would impact so many families.
Shawn Burns, with the U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officers Association said if the government shuts down on Oct. 1, the impact for DoD workers wouldn't be felt until Oct. 15.
"There's a lot of preparation between here and there," he said. "I think that's the big thing that we focus on—everyone's going to get paid on [September] 30th if not before."
Burns is currently in Louisiana, but he has family in Hampton Roads.
He said he's "optimistic" about the situation.
"[It's] being able to know that the leaders that are there, being able to make the decisions that we need to make sure that we can get paid on the 15th," he said.
But he's monitoring it closely.
"From our 2018-2019 experience, certain financial institutions went ahead and made preparations to be able to handle paychecks for us during that time back in 2018, 2019," he said. "They're in full swing right now."
Burns said it's possible that some Coast Guard families would need to seek the help of a food bank. It would all depend on their financial situations.
"If they're not reaching out to financial institutions, that they're not being able to cover their paycheck or being able to get a no interest loan to cover their paycheck when that comes around," he said. "They may need that, that assistance with a food bank."
That's something food banks across America are preparing for, and Brian Gray with the Food Bank of the Albemarle said they're ready for whatever comes their way.
"We we are ready to serve the community and our partner agencies are here as well," Gray said. "To serve anyone who is affected."
