TAMPA, Fla. — Even though lawmakers struck a deal Friday afternoon to temporarily end the partial government shutdown, there was a steady stream of federal workers stopping by the pop-up food pantry at Tampa International Airport Friday night.
Carlos Arias is one of them. He has worked for the TSA for 17 years and is the sole breadwinner in his home. He said he's been able to keep up with bills so far, but money is tight.
“We’re happy that this is coming to an agreement,” he said. “Long overdue.”
In the last two weeks, Feeding Tampa Bay has helped about 2,700 federal workers at the pantry at Tampa International Airport. Executive Director Thomas Mantz compared the shutdown to a hurricane. It was an emergency they couldn’t predict.
“That's the same thing as anyone who has a storm come through their lives, and we had to respond accordingly,” he said.
While the politicians have reached a temporary deal to end the government shutdown, the pantry has no plans to shut down.
“Because most people when they have an economic shock, which is what this is, struggle to recover from that. It takes time,” Mantz explained.
TSA agents tell us they still don't know when they'll get their next paycheck. Arias is choosing to stay positive.
“We've got a lot of good things,” he said. “We've got our health. We've got a lot of support.”
If anything good has come out of weeks without a being paid, he said, it's that people have a new appreciation for the work he and his co-workers do.
“We're kind of underrated, as far as what we do,” he explained. “Way underpaid, so I think we deserve a lot better, and hopefully things will be up on the rise.”
If you've been looking for way to help these federal workers, Feeding Tampa Bay still needs volunteers.
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