A Giveaway That Gave Nothing: The Furlough Fiasco at Ebenezer
On a day when hope was promised, many left Fort Washington with nothing but traffic fumes and bitter disappointment.
Ebenezer AME Church, in partnership with an unnamed grocer, had announced a gift card giveaway for furloughed government workers—scheduled from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. But by 2:45, the parking lot was chaos. PG County Police had blocked the entrance, traffic was gridlocked, and word spread quickly: the cards were gone. The event had quietly started at noon, hours before the advertised time.
No signage. No updates. No apology.
Attendees—many of whom had driven from across Prince George’s County, burning precious gas during a government shutdown—were left stranded and stunned. One fellow worker summed it up: “We were told 3 to 5. They gave everything out by 1. People are saying Edward Burroughs gave it all to his friends.”
Whether that’s rumor or reality, the optics are devastating. The lack of transparency, poor coordination, and dismissive treatment by some officers on site only deepened the wound. One attendee described being yelled at across Allentown Road by a female officer, while a male officer asked her to assist with traffic control—an ironic request given she wasn’t in uniform.
This wasn’t just a logistical failure. It was a reputational injury to Ebenezer, to Councilmember Burroughs, and to the broader promise of community care. In a moment when people are financially strained, emotionally frayed, and politically exhausted, this event felt like a cruel bait-and-switch.
No one seems to know who the grocer was. No one knows how much the cards were worth. And no one from Ebenezer has issued a public statement, despite calls for clarification from attendees and complaints filed with local officials.
The silence is deafening.
If this was a genuine attempt to help, it failed in execution and communication. If it was something else—favoritism, mismanagement, or reputational theater—it demands accountability.
At minimum, the community deserves:
- A full timeline of the event’s actual start and distribution
- Identification of the grocer and card value
- A public apology from Ebenezer and Councilmember Burroughs
- A plan to ensure future giveaways are equitable, transparent, and professionally managed
Until then, this event will be remembered not for its generosity, but for its chaos—and for the people it left behind.
The cards were given out at 3:00 PM. NOT BEFORE. The tickets to get in the church were given out when approximately 300 people were in line as there were only 300 cards to be given. As great as Ebenezer has been to the community, why would anyone disparage that great church. During COVID-19 Ebenezer gave away so many gift cards and no one complained. Ebenezer is a family church serving the family of GOD and community for years. They reached out and yet people want to complain. Yet there were 300 people who stood in line for at least 2-3 hours to ensure they were able to obtain a gift card. You can’t show up at 3 PM for an event like this and expect to obtain a card when there were many people in line for hours. GOD BLESS.