WEST SPRINGFIELD – A local restaurant stepped up to the plate to help furloughed workers during the government shutdown.

On Jan. 26, the Janna Mediterranean Grill & Juice Bar – known for its authentic Mediterranean and Lebanese dishes made using a natural charcoal grill – provided free meals to a number of workers facing no pay as a result of the shutdown. From noon until 2 p.m, the restaurant served chicken shawarma with pita bread, pickles and tomatoes.

“The purpose of that event was to stretch a hand over to the federal employees who are our neighbors, friends and family,” said Owner Brahim Babett. “I came up with idea after my wife and I were watching the news. It dawned on me that people were having a rough time, and every one of us has been through hardship before.”

Mayor William Reichelt also made an appearance at the event to show support for the federal workers.

All of the food provided came from the restaurant’s inventory and was made in advance.

Babett, who was born and raised in the Caribbean, said he felt inspired to help the workers because he knows first-hand what it’s like to go through a “rough patch.”

“I came here [the United States] 19 years ago, I found a family and I found so many businesses – some of them were successful and some of them went down through the recession,” he continued. “I know how hard it is nowadays to put food on the table, especially when you’re not getting paid.”

He then called the mayor to get his advice.

“I decided to call the mayor. I put the idea on table and he responded right away and he said, ‘great idea, let’s do it’,” said the owner. “Then we organized it, and it went well.”

He added that he believes the mayor’s presence was comforting to the workers. He said it showed them that they’re “not alone.”

Babett expressed that the event was well-received and that he would do another event of this nature in the future, if the opportunity provides.

“I would love to do it again,” he said. “Whenever there is a chance I can help the community, I’m going to do it. I’m making living from this community, so sometimes you have to give back – it’s not all take.”

The federal government shutdown – which was the result of an impasse between President Donald Trump and Congress over a border wall, in which large portions of the government lost their funding and had to close – began on Dec. 22 of 2018 and ended on Jan. 25 2019.

The 35-day shutdown was the longest in United States history, and led to 380,000 federal workers being furloughed.

The Janna Mediterranean Grill & Juice Bar is located at 751 Union St. in West Springfield.

For more information on its menu, as well as its hours, head over to the restaurant’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jannajuicebar/.