$1 Million In Aid To Furloughed Federal Workers
Burroughs, 100 Black Men Announce Aid
By Raoul Dennis
As the government shutdown moves into the longest of its kind in history this week, Prince George’s County Council Chair Edward P. Burroughs, III, and 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County President and Chair Dr. Marquez Ball announced the development of a $1 million fund on Nov. 6 in a press conference at Curry Administration Building. It will be made available to aid furloughed federal workers.
The new fund will provide direct payments to federal workers impacted by the government shutdown and DOGE-related furloughs and layoffs.
Chair Burroughs is partnering with 100 Black Men of Prince George’s County, Inc. to distribute funds to District 8 residents. The application process will open immediately after the announcement.
“This is not going to solve the problem,” Burroughs said of the effects of the shutdown issue. “But this is our fight. This is us letting our residents know that they are not alone. They are valued, they are cared for, and Everyone's pitching in.”
He went on to recognize 100 Black Men of Prince George’s as a prime example of community coming together to help its neighbors.
“These are men who have jobs and careers and a lot of things they could be doing, but decided to be here today and decided to administer a program of volunteering — which says a lot about this organization,” Burroughs said.
When asked about the possibility of raising funds in a mode similar to what black women and later black men did for Vice President Kamala Harris, where over $100 million was raised through ZOOM calls, Dr. Ball replied that the scale of work for the presidency differed from this moment but that many organizations are doing great work behind the scenes.
“I would say many of our civic organizations are already rallying together to aid federal workers,” Dr. Ball says. “So, you will see the food distribution. You will see a lot of programs that deal with financial literacy or financial aid. So, a lot of us are already making a difference in different ways.” He says many are more focused on doing the work than in telling their stories. But they are there in the background, making it happen.
The agreement between MGM National Harbor and District 8 provided the findings for the project. But it was 100 Black men who coordinated the direct contact with those in need individuals in the community.
But it was 100 Black men who had the capacity to implement the program. “They turned around the website. They're doing all the processing. To get the government to do anything, it can take [years],” Burroughs said. “It can take months and months of planning. I mean, 100 Black Men were able to turn [this work] around in about a week. And they'll get all the payments and processing done. We believe that we will get these dollars out to people in less than a month.”
