Cherry Hill Bagel Shop Offers Free Bagels to Federal Workers

Andrew Cunningham, owner of K&A Bagel Cafe, is leading a community initiative to help those affected by the federal government shutdown. 

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Cunningham is offering free bags of bagels Wednesdays through Sundays for as long as the shutdown continues. Those in need can visit his shop, located off Route 70 in Cherry Hill, between 12:50 p.m. and 1 p.m. and grab a bag, no questions asked.

“This is the perfect opportunity to give them to somebody who needs them,” Cunningham said in a statement to The Inquirer. “Not just for government workers, but for people losing their benefits, too.”

K&A's Facebook post about the free bagels has already received hundreds of shares and likes in the 48 hours after he posted it on Sunday, Oct. 26. Cunningham said he's hopeful people will claim the offer and invites those with allergy sensitivities to contact him so that he can provide allergy-free goods.

Developed 10 years ago by Andrew and his wife Katie, K&A Bagel Cafe is known for its traditional and innovative bagel flavors, such as dill pickle cream cheese and pesto bagels. 

Cunningham's community initiative comes as thousands of federal workers remained furloughed or working without pay due to the federal government shutdown. Nearly 2 million residents of Pennsylvania and 800,000 residents of New Jersey are set to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits if the shutdown continues into November.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Philadelphia County has the most people enrolled in the federal food aid program of any county in Pennsylvania.

Regardless of location, individuals can text their ZIP code to 800-5-HUNGRY or 800-548-6479 to receive a list of nearby food banks.

CBS News Philadelphia announced that DoorDash, the food delivery service, will help SNAP recipients across the country. The company plans to deliver 1 million free meals to food bank partners in November. DoorDash will be waiving delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 grocery store orders for SNAP recipients.