Two fired Department of Health and Human Services employees started a new event series called Well Fed, offering food, art therapy, job hunting tips and more to others in the same situation.
When Drew Ruby-Howe received notice on Valentine’s Day that she’d been fired from the federal government, she knew she wanted to do something to help others in the same boat.
“There’s grief and loss of life, and then there’s grief and loss of the life that you knew, and so in this case, we really have the opportunity to lean on each other,” she said.
She and her former colleague Rebecca Ferguson-Ondrey put on an event in Friendship Heights Monday called Well Fed, giving former government workers the chance to share a meal and meditation.
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“I think this city is lucky to have so many public servants who really just care so much for others, and it feels special to be able to uplift and celebrate and amplify the work that they did,” Ruby-Howe said.
“We actually worked with leaders and their teams to help them become more effective and more efficient, and so it was really devastating to think that the administration didn’t seem take that into consideration,” Ferguson-Ondrey said.
Rahal Wijawardene said he just got his job at the Department of Health and Human Services two months ago. He moved to D.C. from Florida and learned he was fired the same day he moved into his new apartment.
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“Working for the federal government had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and when I finally got the opportunity to, I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.
The event included lessons on how to pivot and find a new job.
Ruby-Howe and Ferguson-Ondrey hope to make the event an ongoing series.
Community members and businesses stepped up with donations for Well Fed to help provide things like food, goodie bags and the event space.
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