Who knows when the federal government shutdown will actually end, and how long it will take furloughed employees to get the back paychecks they may actually wind up getting?
No matter what, between the shutdown and brutal termination of federal government programs, this region is probably the most devastated from the impact in the entire U.S. Technically, the City of Falls Church has the highest percentage of federal employees as a portion of its total workforce than any other jurisdiction, but the impact is being felt by federal contractors and the wider retail economy, too.
So, at least three locally-owned Falls Church restaurants with deep ties to the community here are stepping up to help in an extraordinary outpouring of generosity and concern.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (and their alter ego, Lazy Mike’s Deli), Ireland’s Four Provinces, and Harvey’s Restaurant are all pitching in in a memorable way, and for our readers, their efforts continue. We’re also eager to learn if there are others doing similar things in the Little City that we’re not yet aware of.
Dave Tax, co-owner with his sister of both Clare and Don’s and Lazy Mike’s, updated the News-Press on their effort while catering a special reception for City volunteer board and commission members held at City Hall last Monday night.
Colm Dillon, owner of Ireland’s Four Provinces, first clued in the News-Press on his plans over a week ago, and Roy Bobbett updated the News-Press on that establishment’s efforts yesterday.
Thomas Harvey, owner and chef at Harvey’s Restaurant talked at length to the News-Press by phone yesterday.
All three establishments are in the downtown section of the Little City, locally owned with their proprietors actively on site all the time, all very popular with the locals, and all very giving over the years.
They all are offering essentially similar ways of helping those in need, furloughed federal workers, their families and, as Tax noted, extended to anyone impacted by the cutbacks in the federal SNAP (food stamp) program.
Bobbett at Four P’s stressed that they don’t check for IDs of people who are taking them up on their and their customers’ generosity, either. The others indicated likewise for them.
Thomas Harvey said he’s been running a discount coinciding with however many days the government shutdown has been underway. Yesterday, menu items were 43 percent off because the shutdown had entered its 43rd day.
Like the other restaurants, he has set up a “Play It Forward” way for his patrons to buy meals for others, a huge component of all the participating establishments’ efforts. A customer essentially buys a meal for someone. The chit indicating what’s been bought is then placed on a poster near the entrance and a person or family that comes in can then take that chit and then be fed there accordingly.
Harvey said that as of Wednesday, 171 meals had been provided by that means, out of 186 that other customers had purchased.
Havey added that he’s raffling off two Thanksgiving turkey dinners, with the winners being picked out of a hat tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. on what will be live-streamed on Instagram. People can enter the raffle via Harvey’s Instagram site anytime up to the time of the drawing.
Should the federal shutdown end, it will not instantaneously change things for folks, either, so that the effort at all three establishments will continue for a time afterward.
Tax, who has had about 80 people take up the free meal offer so far, said that any pre-purchased meals that might be left over will be provided to the Falls Church Homeless Shelter or a food bank run by co-owner Rachel, his sister.
At the Four P’s, the policy has been to offer meals for anyone under age 10 for free, and vouchers of $25 or $50 are purchased by customers for others. Bobbett said that no one is asked to show an ID or proof of employment by the federal government.
“The generosity of our customers in these times has been amazing,” said Harvey. “This has made everybody feel good again, it is uplifting for all of us, our customers, our employees, alike. It goes to show what a remarkable place Falls Church is.”