GA Grocery Giveaway To Help 2K Families During Shutdown: See Where

STONECREST, GA — New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is planning to feed more than 2,000 families a month after the federal government entered a shutdown, impacting food assistance nationwide.

New Birth and the King's Table Food Ministry will hold a grocery giveaway at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Bell Family Life Center, 6400 Woodrow Road in Stonecrest. The church operates under the leadership of Sr. Pastor Jamal Bryant.

There is no required registration for recipients, but volunteers can sign up online.

"Every resource I've got, I'm gonna give it to you," Bryant said in a video statement. "I'm not gonna gate-keep. I'm gonna help you crash the gate. The White House and the administration (are) playing games while 42 million are literally starving. We can't roll over and play dead."

New Birth revealed the giveaway Friday, the day two federal judges ruled that President Donald Trump's administration must continue to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program using contingency funds during the shutdown. SNAP helps people afford groceries.

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The program's November benefits were in danger of being paused Saturday after federal agriculture officials announced no more funding was available due to the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1.

It is now the second-longest federal government closure on record. The issue at hand: expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits Democratic senators say affects 1.4 million Georgians.

It is not clear when the impasse will end, and the government will reopen.

"What it is that the Republican administration is doing is wicked, but God has got the final say," Bryant said.

Nationally, he said anyone in need of food assistance can text their zip code to (800) 548-5479 and New Birth will send the addresses for three food banks in the area.