Hundreds of unpaid federal employees turned to a food bank in Homestead this week, underscoring how the prolonged government shutdown is straining workers who are still expected to report to their jobs.
“It’s been a test, it’s been a challenge,” said Sebastian Carmona.
Carmona works for the Social Security Administration office in Perrine. He and his coworkers spent their lunch break picking up free groceries for themselves and about 50 others back at the office who couldn’t leave.
“We’re all just together, we all know we’re in the same boat. Our office demeanor hasn’t changed. We’re still servicing the public in the best possible way we can,” Carmona said.
Food distribution reaches hundreds of families
Feeding South Florida held a food distribution event at Homestead Air Reserve Park with enough groceries to feed 275 families for a week.
“It’s getting bad, we’re scraping, but we’re hoping it comes to a resolve soon,” said Elizabeth Medinilla, a TSA officer at Miami International Airport.
Federal employees from TSA, Veterans Affairs, and the Bureau of Prisons, among others, drove through.
Union leader says morale is sinking
“Coming to work not being paid is very demoralizing, so we need something to happen,” said John Hubert.
Hubert is the president of AFGE Local 558, representing TSA workers at MIA and FLL. He said it’s getting harder for people to even get to work.
“I got a couple calls, but one of them that really got to me was a lady saying, listen, I don’t even have enough to make it to work. She was basically asking me to give her a gas card, things like that. These things are going to become more critical as the days go by,” Hubert said.
Others line up hoping for leftovers
This event was just for federal workers with a government ID, but others got wind of the distribution and lined up outside waiting and hoping there would be something left over.
According to Feeding South Florida, 1.2 million people in South Florida face food insecurity — about 1 in 9 people who don’t know where they will get their next meal.
Families struggle to find food aid
“The first one in Kendall by 10 o’clock, everything was gone. The second one we were sent to was canceled, so we’re trying here, the third place,” said Maribel Donado from Homestead.
Donado is not a federal employee and said she drove to multiple locations where she heard there were food distribution events, hoping to receive help.
“Even though we’re working, we are finding it hard to food shop like we did before, so that’s why we’re here,” Donado said.
