Rare News Desk
It’s amazing how people step up when the government isn’t there to do things for them, isn’t it? Here are some great examples of people stepping in and filling the voids left by the shutdown.
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1. The Lincoln Memorial lawn mower
From the Washington Post:
Chris Cox says he bought the leaf blower at Home Depot for $200. He got the used lawn mower at a thrift store for 100 bucks. The heavy metal handcart with the squeaky wheels is his.
Cox, 45, a chain-saw sculptor from Mount Pleasant, S.C., grabbed the attention of shutdown-weary Washington on Wednesday when he showed up with all his gear and was reportedly spotted mowing the lawn at the Lincoln Memorial.
2. The Fisher House Foundation pays death benefits for fallen troops
From the News Tribune:
The Obama administration, scrambling to tamp down a controversy over suspended death benefits for the families of fallen troops, announced Wednesday that a charity would pick up the costs of the payments during the government shutdown.
“The Fisher House Foundation will provide the families of the fallen with the benefits they so richly deserve,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement, adding that the Pentagon would reimburse the foundation after the shutdown ended.
3. Texas philanthropists pledge up to $10 million to keep Head Start running
From the AP:
The National Head Start Association says a pledge of up to $10 million from two Houston philanthropists will help keep Head Start programs running during the federal government shutdown.
The association said it welcomed the pledge by Laura and John Arnold, adding it will help serve more than 7,000 at-risk children while the shutdown continues.
4. United Airlines offered to fly the Air Force to the Air Force – Navy game
They ended up not needing the service, but this was an awesome gesture to make sure that the game still happened.
From the Washington Times:
With the service academies saying they must call off their athletic events in light of the budget freeze, United said Wednesday it would fly the Air Force team to the game at no charge.
“We hate cancellations, so we’re offering to fly @AF_Academy to this year’s Air Force-Navy game. Retweet if you agree,” the airline posted on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
5. Food Lion hands out $500,000 in gift cards for NC residents in need of assistance.
From WMFY News:
Wednesday, Food Lion made a $500,000 donation in gift cards to food banks across the state to support citizens who need food assistance to feed their families. During its announcement, DHHS encouraged families to lean on food banks for help.
The company released this statement about the donation: “Food Lion is pleased to take a leading role across the state in providing critical funding to North Carolina food banks that will begin to receive increased requests in the coming weeks,” said Beth Newlands Campbell, president of Food Lion. “In North Carolina, one in four children face hunger each day, and parents are forced to make difficult decisions, like buying formula or paying rent, to provide their children with the nutrition they need. We’re hopeful that today’s donation helps families to make fewer of those tough choices, particularly during this time.”
