Dear Washington Conservation Guild Members,

On behalf of myself and the Board of WCG, I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathies for the many of you who are affected by the government shutdown. Many local and out-of-area colleagues have sent notices of concern for the many of you who are under increasing strain due to the shutdown. It is likely that many of you will miss your second paycheck this weekend, and with the end of the month coming up, some of you will have a challenging time making ends meet.

If this describes you, I urge you to reach out to your colleagues for help. If you feel comfortable, please send a message directly to me at president@washingtonconservationguild.org so that I can direct your email to our network of colleagues.

In the meantime, WCG would like to help with several small gestures:

• We will be providing sandwiches at our upcoming February meeting at the National Library of Medicine on February 7, whether or not the shutdown has ended. Please eat and take home leftovers. If you would like to contribute food for members to take home with them, please bring it to the reception that begins at 5:00.
• Several board members have asked to contribute gift cards for local grocery stores to those of you who need it. Please ask for one if you need it.
• Erin Stephenson, a WCG board member, has invited furloughed conservators and interns to come by her home for food and good company this Sunday evening any time between 5-8:00. She plans to make vegetarian chili and cornbread, and encourages people to bring anything they’d like to share. You’re also welcome to drop off food and/or take some away in a container if you’d rather not stay. Please email her directly for more information at ebstephenson@yahoo.com

We hope we can help our members through this difficult time. Part of the benefits to WCG membership is that we are a network of support. Please reach out to let us know what you need and how we can assist you.

Sincerely,
Diana Galante
President, Washington Conservation Guild
president@washingtonconservationguild.org