NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A charitable foundation established by pilots who guide ships on the lower Mississippi River is providing financial help to Coast Guard members serving without pay during the partial federal government shutdown.
A release from the Crescent River Pilots Foundation says pilots will meet with members of the Coast Guard Spouses' Club of Greater New Orleans on Friday. Pilots will then begin distributing more than 450 gift cards, each valued at $100.
The meeting is set for the pilots' office in Belle Chasse.
A New Orleans food bank says Louisiana residents could soon face a possible "hunger crisis" because of the partial government shutdown.
Second Harvest Food Bank says local food pantries have seen a spike in requests for help during the government shutdown. The organization now warns that food banks will face a "serious challenge" in the coming weeks because of issues with food stamp programs caused by the shutdown.
Second Harvest has established an emergency pantry in Belle Chasse, La., to serve U.S. Coast Guard service members who have not been paid in five weeks.
Whereas the other military branches are funded through the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security.
"We have not gotten paid at all and I think the most stressful part is just pushing our bills back. Some companies are understanding; some companies are not understanding.” Diana Pitts, the wife of a Coast Guard member, told WWL-TV.
"A lot of us are living off of our savings and stuff and some of us don’t have a savings,” Pitts said.