As the partial government shutdown stretches on, some federal workers in Charlotte and Greensboro are at least guaranteed one thing: lunch. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse have started serving free midday meals to federal employees missing regular paychecks, setting up distribution at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte and at Samaritan’s Purse’s Airlift Response Center in Greensboro. Organizers say the effort is set to run every day until the shutdown ends, meant as a bit of breathing room in the middle of an uncertain month.
According to WSOC, the Billy Graham Library is handing out meals in Charlotte from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., while Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers are serving at the Greensboro Airlift Response Center. Organizers told the station they plan to keep the program going seven days a week for as long as the partial shutdown lasts.
Organizers' message
Franklin Graham, who heads both organizations, has described the free lunches as a practical stopgap while lawmakers argue over funding. In a post on the Billy Graham Library’s site he wrote, “Don’t let anyone ever tell you there’s no such thing as a free lunch, because there is!” and urged churches with kitchens to jump in and help, as detailed by the Billy Graham Library. The message is simple enough, even if Washington is not, feed the people who are caught in the middle.
How it works
Volunteers have turned Samaritan’s Purse mobile kitchens and outreach operations into pop up dining lines, handing out boxed lunches and hot meals at the designated North Carolina sites, according to reporting from WXII. Eligibility is limited to federal employees who show a valid government ID, a requirement outlined by Charlotte Newsroom.
Why it matters
The groups ran a similar meal program during a previous shutdown and served thousands of lunches to federal staff, according to WSOC. This latest effort slots into a wider patchwork of local and national support as the partial government shutdown disrupts paychecks, agencies and services, AP News reports, one free meal at a time.
