Donors chip in to aid programmes affected by Gov't shutdown

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP):

As the partial government shutdown rolls on, programmes that rely on federal money are feeling the strain and so are the people who depend on their services.

For 16-year-old Alishe'ah Sockwell, federal money makes a big difference.

It helps put a roof over her head. It allows her mother, Nia, to undergo job training. And it pays for childcare for Sockwell's young daughter so that Sockwell can go to high school every day in Little Rock, Arkansas

But with some federal funds out of reach because of the shutdown, Sockwell may have to stay home from school in order to watch her daughter. If the shutdown drags on much longer, her housing could be in jeopardy, too.

chipping in

So, to fill in the gaps, the nonprofit organization that provides Sockwell and other homeless people in Little Rock with childcare, shelter and other assistance, has asked community members to chip in.

Donations trickled in for that organization, called Our House, and something similar is happening around the nation.

Across the country, donors big and small are opening their wallets to help keep afloat programmes that protect people in need as the government shutdown persists. A pair of Texas philanthropists pledged up to $10 million to help Head Start programmes for poor children hurt by the shutdown.