A group of Rancho Bernardo moms has created a Facebook group to try to connect furloughed federal workers in their neighborhood with other residents who wanted to help them.
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The group is a forum for people living in the Poway Unified School District. Federal workers in that area can post about specific items or services they were lacking because of the lag in paychecks. Their neighbors can post about items or gift cards they are offering to anyone who could use them. Donors and recipients then connect directly to arrange the pickup.
Cristina Walkley is one of the group's administrators. "I think it's our job as a community member, as a human being, to check on our neighbors and say, 'Hey, how are you doing?'" she said. "Sometimes that’s all it takes. 'Is there anything you need?'"
While the group is less than a week old, there are already more than 100 members, and several of them are posting their stories online. One woman with four children whose husband is a government worker received a delivery of groceries and diapers from one of the Facebook group's members.
"I think it does a lot for their emotional well-being to know that there are people out there you're not alone in this battle," Walkley said.
