The Government Shutdown and the Local Synagogue: Practical Help Plus Emotional and Spiritual Support Offered to Workers Without Paychecks

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Oct.1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amid the swirl of political and ideological sound bites, it can be easy to forget that many in the D.C. area are caught in the middle, as their paychecks or contracting jobs disappear for the duration of the impasse.

Focusing on the people affected is important – and Temple Shalom, the D.C. Area's most diverse synagogue, is responding with a series of helping hand initiatives that are open to all, without charge.

The first, "Furloughed Friends," takes place Wednesday Morning, October 2, 2013 at 10 a.m.  Over bagels and coffee, experts from the Certified Public Accounting firm of Sullivan & Company will present practical information to assist workers not sure when the next paycheck will arrive.  Topics include: cash flow, budgeting, sources for cash reserves, the role of retirement funds in pre-retirement emergencies, early retirement possibilities for older workers, part time work issues and the relative merits of tapping credit sources as opposed to saving to get through the crisis period.

"This is a difficult time for many in our community, and the essence of community is that we stand behind our friends and neighbors facing anxiety and need," said Temple Shalom's Senior Rabbi, Michael Feshbach.

Temple Shalom's staff and clergy are also available to assist with any individual or familial emotional or spiritual issues arising amid the current government funding crisis, as "we know that people respond with both their heads and their hearts in times like these," Feshbach added.

EVENT INFORMATION:

FURLOUGHED FRIENDS – bagels, coffee and practical financial advice from CPAs on weathering the government shutdown.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2, 2013, 10 a.m.

Temple Shalom
8401 Grubb Road(at the corner of East-West Highway)
Where Silver Spring meets Chevy Chase, MD 
Just 3 blocks from the D.C. line, and 2 blocks north of the Parkway Deli. 

Public Transit: Just over a mile west of the Silver Spring Metrorail station. Direct Bus service from Silver Spring, Bethesda, Friendship Heights and College Park.  

www.templeshalom.net

SOURCE Temple Shalom