1 month ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Several businesses successful Downtown Fresno are doing their portion to assistance provender radical successful request done the authorities shutdown, arsenic SNAP benefits spot large cuts and pauses.
BB's Gelateria Owner Stacy Williams says she is collecting canned goods, accepting acquisition cards, and encouraging customers to sponsor a scoop of gelato for furloughed workers during the shutdown.
"We are taking the canned nutrient thrust done astir November 18th oregon 20th," Williams said. "Just successful the past fewer days, I've received astir $1,000 successful acquisition cards from folks that I've been capable to really enactment successful the hands of radical this week."
Williams says being wrong walking region of respective national buildings, she's seen the effect of the shutdown firsthand from customers.
"Being a downtown business, I would accidental a ample bulk of our folks moving successful Downtown are successful the government," Williams said. "From the IRS, to the City, to the county; folks down present are losing their jobs."
Williams says arsenic a Fresno native, she felt she had to bash thing to assistance the assemblage that raised her.
"People speech negatively astir Fresno, and we're amazing. Do we person immoderate pockets of difficulty? Of course, we do. But we are each large people," Williams said. "My great-grandfather moved present successful 1930. We person 5 generations here. These are my people. This is my town."
5 minutes southeast of BB's, vegan restaurant, Plant Slayer, is offering escaped meals to anyone connected SNAP during Plant Slayer's regular concern hours of 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
"We believe, similar each beings, you know, should beryllium treated with compassion and respect," Perez said. "We're conscionable trying to bash our portion to assistance our community."
Perez says she understands determination is simply a stigma that comes particularly with being a genitor connected SNAP, and she wants to reassure anyone reasoning of accepting a escaped repast that Plant Slayer is simply a "judgment-free zone."
"We don't privation anyone to consciousness ashamed oregon embarrassed to travel due to the fact that you know, we get it," Perez said. "We aren't asking for impervious of SNAP benefits. It's the grant system."
Williams says she besides has a judgment-free policy, and says BB's and Plant Slayer aren't the lone ones doing their portion to assistance during the shutdown.
According to Williams, she is 1 of 3 drop-off businesses successful Downtown Fresno collecting canned food, including Judging By the Cover Books, and Fresno Inclusive.
Williams says adjacent nutrient trucks similar El Jabalito person stepped up to provender the community.
Williams says she encourages businesses each implicit Fresno to travel suit and assistance provender their neighbors.
"If you guys are successful River Park oregon you're successful Copper River oregon you're successful different parts of town," Williams said. "All of america downtown, truly tiny businesses, are trying to measurement up. I situation you to travel measurement successful with us."
