Local families asking for help, searching for resources amid government shutdown

Nearly a month into the shutdown, WRBL News 3 circled back with a local man who is helping families pay bills or providing them with other helpful resources.

“People have reached out asking for utility bill pay help, asking for gas just to get to work – those essential workers that still have to come to work,” said DeWayne Webb, founder of nonprofit All About Fitness Family and Amazon partner Global Kingdom Work.

When WRBL first spoke to Webb on Oct. 14, nobody had reached out yet. At that time, Webb thought it might be due to the freshness of the shutdown, or an idea that someone else might need the resources more. As the shutdown reaches day 27, that is changing.

Webb said, “[They’re] asking for grocery money for [their] kids or for kids that they take care of, or asking for help to pay a car note to avoid their car being shut off or their car being repossessed.”

Through his organizations, Webb says he’s contributed roughly $2,000 to help about 10 local families.

Even in instances where people don’t want financial assistance, Webb is directing them toward other options. One of those is a special job fair through Global Kingdom Work that is aimed at hiring 50 employees for full-time and seasonal positions.

“I feel there’s a section of people that…look at the help as a giveaway, so as something that they may not need because there’s someone out there that they think needs it more than them,” Webb said. “So what we’re going to do is just offer jobs.”

Webb is also putting together boxes with ingredients give local families Thanksgiving meals as the holidays get closer, while the threat of a continued shutdown and the loss of SNAP benefits loom.

Keith Milligan with JTM Corps, owner of multiple local Piggly Wiggly locations, talked about what the loss of SNAP may look like locally.

“Right now it’s about 23% of our business,” Milligan said. “You know, families get a lot less SNAP benefits than a lot of people think. The average family gets about $6 per day per person.”

Webb’s upcoming job fair is one of four he will host during the holiday season. It is open to anyone 21 and older. Global Kingdom work will be doing on-the-spot hiring.

That event will be held Thursday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Goodwill Career Center in Phenix City.

To get involved with Webb’s Thanksgiving meal initiative, called “Boxes of Love,” reach out to president@allaboutfitnessfamily.org or text/call (706) 478-7414. You can also reach out via those channels for resources or assistance from Webb during the shutdown.