VIRGINIA NEWS – Some churches supporting Trump, forced to provide help to laid-off federal workers

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

As layoffs have ramped up through Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas one pastor in Northern Virginia is spearheading efforts to support families and individuals affected by the layoffs. Meredith Keseley, pastor of the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, Virginia has launched several initiatives that are aimed at helping those who have lost their jobs and significant income due to the layoffs. In a statement, Keseley said, “A large number of our church members and folks in our community are federal workers,” she went on to say, “We saw a big impact when USAID funds were cut. A lot of the work that our folks do is humanitarian work.” 

Keseley has established a Federal Worker Support page on the Church’s website, which offers resources and information for laid-off workers. She has also organized weekly gatherings and support groups that are designed to give laid-off federal employees a safe place to share their experiences. When asked about her inspiration Keseley said, “My encouragement is for every congregation, every community organization, every faith community to do something small, start somewhere,” Keseley said. “People right now are searching for support, and the more of us who decide that it is our mission to be loud voices that tell our federal workers that they are important and they matter, we can become a louder voice than the voices that they’re hearing right now from the government.”