MERIDIAN, Idaho — For nearly a month now, 800,000 government workers across the nation and here at home, have been watching and waiting for news about when they can return to work.
“The last thing we want to see is people in my community who can’t make their mortgage payment and can’t feed their kids,” Heritage Hop Haus owner Cody Cuccia said.
With no end in sight to the shutdown, businesses like Heritage Hop Haus are now stepping up and helping out.
“We're offering a guaranteed $20 an hour for anybody that was furloughed that wanted to come in for temporary work,” Cuccia said.
He and his business partner offered the temporary work in a post on social media.
“With us being a smaller operation, we can take on about five people right now. We've filled one position already,” Cuccia said.
They will offer employment for as long as the federal workers need.
“We’re getting ready for an expansion upstairs so, if this furlough does last longer than we want it to or anticipate it, we're willing to offer part-time employment for these people if it goes longer than expected,” Cuccia said.
He hopes what they're doing at his company, will have a big impact.
“My goal is that some other businesses see what we're doing and can actually offer more employment to these people on a larger scale and we can build on this,” Cuccia said.
Heritage Hop Haus is brewing up a small way to help those in need.
“I hope that with any of the people that we employ that what they gain from this, is that we have a really strong sense of community and we are here to help and I’m really a strong believer that if a man asks for help, you help them,” Cuccia said.
If you or someone you know is interested in one of the positions, you can reach out to the owners on their business Facebook page.