Donations will assist federal employees and contractors suddenly deprived of pay during a shutdown. Funds will cover rent, groceries, utility bills, medical needs, and childcare support. Contributions may be channeled through employee hardship funds, nonprofit emergency relief organizations that assist public servants, or local community support networks.
As the U.S. federal government approaches a funding lapse, a shutdown threatens to furlough as many as 750,000 workers and force others to work without pay. Already, departments like Health and Human Services plan to furlough 41 % of their workforce, affecting public health, research, and regulatory operations At the same time, more than 11,000 FAA employees may be furloughed, even as controllers and security personnel would continue working without compensation. The political impasse in Congress prevents allocation of funds, leaving many in federal service—many of whom are in “good standing”—facing sudden financial uncertainty despite the expectation of retroactive pay.
With the expiration of the current appropriations dead ahead, Congressional leaders failed to pass a clean continuing resolution. As a result, many executive branch agencies are preparing for a funding lapse. According to forecasts by the Congressional Budget Office, a shutdown could cost $400 million per day in lost compensation and affect up to three‑quarters of a million workers.
In the Department of Health and Human Services alone, 41 % of staff—over 32,000 employees—are slated for furlough, potentially hampering essential public health functions, disease tracking, and regulatory oversight. Meanwhile, the FAA is preparing to furlough more than 11,000 of its employees, though air traffic controllers and TSA agents will continue operations without pay during the shutdown.
In the wake of this threat, federal employees are bracing for disruption. Many live paycheck to paycheck, and a sudden gap in income can ripple outward—affecting housing, utilities, groceries, medical expenses, and childcare. Even though a 2019 law mandates that once the shutdown ends, affected workers will receive back pay, that guarantee does little in the short term to ease immediate hardships.
Labor unions have responded by filing lawsuits, accusing administration directives to plan mass layoffs during the shutdown of violating federal law. The absence of updated contingency plans among many federal agencies compounds anxiety—employees are left unsure which roles will be deemed “essential” and who will be furloughed or forced to work unpaid.
In this uncertain climate, the risk is high for devoted public servants—many with years of service—to face financial stress in a moment when they cannot afford it. The human impact of political gridlock is real and immediate, and relief efforts are now vital.
