Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
As thousands of federal employees continue to work without pay amid the prolonged government shutdown, one mom-and-pop shop in Cherry Hill is lending a hand in the way they know how: bagels. K&A Bagel Café, located off Route 70, is offering free bagels to anyone impacted by the government shutdown. K&A will put out free bags of bagels Wednesdays through Sundays for as long as the shutdown continues. Those in need can stop in between 12:50 and 1 p.m. and grab a bag, no questions asked. Andrew Cunningham, K&A’s owner, said he typically has leftover bagels at the end of the day. On Tuesdays, he donates them to the Cherry Hill Food Pantry. Rather than let good bagels go to waste during the rest of the week, he saw an opportunity to give back. “This is the perfect opportunity to give them to somebody who needs them,” Cunningham said. “Not just for government workers, but for people losing their benefits, too.” In addition to the thousands of federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay, nearly 2 million residents of Pennsylvania and 800,000 residents of New Jersey are set to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits should the shutdown continue into November. K&A’s Facebook post about the free bagels garnered hundreds of shares and likes in the 48 hours after it was posted Sunday. Cunningham said he’s hopeful people will take him up on his offer. Cunningham and his wife Katie Cunningham, the owner of Kiss & Tale bookshop in Collingswood, opened K&A Bagel Café around a decade ago (the K&A stands for Katie and Andrew). Katie Cunningham, a baker, came up with the recipe. Now, while she manages business at the bookstore, her husband runs the bagel shop. K&A is home to the classics, as well as fun flavors like dill pickle cream cheese and pesto bagels. Andrew Cunningham said he wanted to put out bagels at a regular time so people could come in and take what they need without having to ask. If you have an allergy, he said, let him know so he can get you some allergy-friendly goods.
