According to a press release from Weber County received Friday, the Weber Human Services Foundation has launched an emergency campaign to provide food to clients and employees at Weber Human Services impacted by the ongoing federal shutdown.

“We want to care for our most vulnerable clients, particularly those who are elderly and have mental illnesses, and our employees who could lose access to SNAP benefits, while softening the influx of need from our local food banks” Kevin Eastman, executive director of Weber Human Services, said in the release.

The release said that the foundation will be distributing food boxes Thursday to provide meals for eligible clients, employees and their families.

Summer Williams, executive director of the Weber Human Services Foundation, told the Standard-Examiner on Monday the foundation is looking at giving out 200 food boxes on Thursday.

“They’re food staples that include items for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said. “For example — cereal, loaves of bread, peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna, canned chicken, pasta, pasta sauce and things of that nature — things that won’t go bad and last them a full week in their homes.”

She said the food boxes are being distributed at Weber Human Services on Thursday and that program managers have been in contact with clients to coordinate distribution.

The release also detailed how much money the foundation has allocated as of late last week.

“The Foundation Board has allocated $6,500 in emergency funding for the fundraiser,” the release said. “WHS employees have donated an upwards of $3,300, and that number continues to grow. Community partners have also donated food for the food boxes.”

Williams said that they are looking for donations at this time, but not of food.

“The nonprofit is collecting monetary donations at this time,” she said. “Anyone who would like to do that is welcome to go to the foundation’s website.”

For more information and to donate to the fundraiser, visit https://weberhsfoundation.org/donate/.