Nas gave government workers a seat at the table of his Sweet Chick chicken and waffle restaurant and offering free meals to those who are having a hard time making ends meet.
As the government shutdown hits day 35 and thousands of people prepare to miss their second pay cycle, good Samaritans around the country are stepping up to help.
The Queens emcee and his co-owner and business partner John Seymour came up with the idea on Martin Luther King Day as a way to help struggling families get fed, The NY Daily News reports.
“We wanted to do something positive,” Seymour said on Thursday. “There are a lot of hard-working people out there not getting a paycheck. We wanted to take care of the people who take care of us.”
The restaurant has four NYC locations and one in West Hollywood, Calif., which has reportedly seen a constant stream of furloughed workers pour in each day showing their federal ID to receive a meal.
“These folks go unnoticed for the work they do,” Seymour said. “In their time of need we want to be part of the solution.”
On Thursday, the Sweet Chick’s Williamsburg, Brooklyn location saw at least 60 furloughed workers come in for a chicken and waffle meal.
Seymour said Sweet Chick will continue to feed furloughed workers until the shutdown ends.
“As of right now, we’re going to do it until the government returns,” Seymour said. “It’s less about the politics than it is about the people.”
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