Hosea Helps assists furloughed federal workers during government shutdown

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Edwina Hughes has volunteered with Hosea Helps in past years.

The IRS worker now finds herself in need of help paying utility bills, after a month without a paycheck.

“Sometimes life is a circle you never know when you may need someone else,” Hughes said.

Hosea Helps is among several metro Atlanta organizations to step forward, filling the gap during the government shutdown.

Organization CEO Elisabeth Omilami is making it her mission to assist furloughed federal workers and their families.

Omilami said, "It's over a thousand federal employees that we have touched since this nightmare began, and we will be open for them tomorrow and every week until this nightmare ends."

The organization provided food, money and other assistance Wednesday afternoon, with the help of volunteers with Delta airlines.

Delta's Gabriela Soriano said, "It breaks our hearts that people don't have that, so the fact that we can help out in a small way makes me feel good because I have food on my table and I'm very blessed."

Frustration grows for those caught in the middle with no end to the impasse in sight.

With her savings depleted, Hughes prays lawmakers will move past their differences and strike a deal.

"I just pray hopefully the Senate and the House and the President will come to some type of resolution, to stop the shutdown so we can get all of our workers back to work," Hughes said.