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Utah’s Great Harvest Bread Co. locations are giving away bread to federal government employees

Posted at 4:20 PM, Jan 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-17 21:31:45-05

As the federal government shutdown enters day 27 with no clear end in sight, local businesses such as breweries and restaurants are feeling the effects.

Federal government employees are feeling the effects even more, as they haven’t been paid since the beginning of the shutdown. Some, like IRS employees, are continuing to work without pay. Others, like TSA employees, are calling in sick. Some are even turning to Uber and Lyft for work.

In Utah, local businesses and organizations are going the extra mile to help out federal government employees. The Hogle Zoo is offering free admission to federal government employees and their families, and Utah unions are also supporting unpaid federal workers (you can contribute to their efforts by calling the Utah Labor Community Services at 801-972-2771).

Now, Utah’s Great Harvest Bread Co. locations are getting in on it.

The Taylorsville, Vineyard, St. George and Holladay locations have said via Facebook that they are offering free loaves of bread to unpaid federal workers.

Free loaves can readily be identified because they have a heart drawn on them, or they can be found on a “shutdown shelf.”

Great Harvest Bread Co. originally started in Montana but locations across the country are individually owned.

It is unclear where the initiative to support unpaid federal government employees came from, or which location it started at, although the Taylorsville location cited inspiration from a Great Harvest Bread Co. in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as being inspired by its location near an IRS building.