Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Charity steps up while government is down
Transportation Security Administration workers at Fort Lauderdale International Airport wait in line to receive food items from the nonprofit Feeding South Florida at a distribution site in Dania Beach. TSA employees are required to work but aren’t getting paid during the partial government shutdown. The food bank is seeking donations and volunteers,
Furloughed and unpaid federal government workers are finding themselves worrying about yet another basic need: food.
At least one local food bank has stepped up to help those affected by the shutdown.
“We’ve contacted TSA and let them know we are able to provide food,” said Sari Vatske, executive vice president of Feeding South Florida. “We are working with the Coast Guard now as well.”
With no end to the shutdown in sight, the charity is counting on being there for the long haul.
“As long as folks are in need of assistance we will provide it,” Vatske said. “If this continues we and the private sector are going to have to work together to help these families.”
The organization hopes to provide food for 1,500 furloughed employees at Miami International Airport, 900 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and 200 at Palm Beach International Airport. Workers at Port Everglades and the Port of Miami will also receive food, Vatske said.
People can help in three ways: By donating food, money or volunteering to sort food at the nonprofit’s main warehouse in Pembroke Park.
“We want to provide three to five days worth of meals,” she said. “Our goal is to serve them all. We need baby food, diapers, canned goods, peanut butter, rice, beans, pasta.”
People can drop off items Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the main warehouse in Pembroke Park at 2501 SW 32nd Terrace.
Cash donations can be made online at feedingsouthflorida.org.
To volunteer, go to the website and register.
In Palm Beach County, calls to the 211 HelpLine are on the rise.
TSA workers and an FBI official have called the Helpline seeking help, said spokeswoman Patrice Schroeder.
“We are starting to see calls come in,” she said. “We have seen a dozen since Friday. We are seeing the impact of this.”
Callers are looking for help with rent, mortgage payments, utilities and food.
Crisis intervention can be reached 24⁄7 by dialing 211, texting your concerns and ZIP code to 898211, or through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
In Broward County, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is collecting donated goods for TSA workers as part of an Operation Helping Hand food drive.
“It was the right thing to do and the least that we could do to try and help our federal partners to alleviate some of their stress during this time of financial uncertainty,” said airport spokeswoman Arlene Satchell.
“Many of our colleagues working for the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration are single parents or live paycheck to paycheck,” Satchell said. “In some cases, husband and wife both work for the federal government and are not getting paid but continue to keep the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport running.”
People who want to help can drop off canned goods, baby formula, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste and pet food, Satchell said. The drop-off area is near the Rental Car Center on the second floor next to the Lost and Found office. The area will be staffed weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m., 3 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 954-359-6116.