Georgia military families, federal employees look for support while government shutdown stalls paychecks

Senate Democrats rejected a Republican stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government as the shutdown continued into its 16th day.

With little progress in Washington, anxiety is building for thousands of federal civilian employees and military families across Georgia. 

Earlier this week, President Trump directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to ensure that U.S. troops were paid; however, that would be a short-term fix. It’s also unclear if the president’s directive applied to the U.S. Coast Guard, which the Department of Homeland Security oversees.

Military families tighten budgets while waiting out shutdown

In their 14 years of marriage as a Coast Guard couple, Ellie and Reese Walker have weathered many storms. 

“Every two to four years, depending on what your job is, you’re going to be going somewhere,” Ellie Walker said.

Their family of five is looking at their tight budget as Reese Walker recruits Coast Guard members throughout metro Atlanta.

“We had already started consolidating for a little while now,” Ellie Walker said. “We’ve gone down to one car. You know, we’ve cut where we can.”

With no paychecks coming in because of the government shutdown, the Walkers are cutting down even more. They’ve been through shutdowns before, when they lived in Jacksonville, Florida, before their youngest was born, but the family says this situation feels different.

“We’re in a place that’s not around a lot of military. Will our creditors even understand what’s happening, like calling the mortgage company, calling the utilities? You know, ‘So what? You’re military. I’m sorry this is happening, but you need to pay up,’” she said.

The family is relying on groups like the Military Advisory Network to save where they can on necessities.

“We’re very open with our kids about what’s happening right now, about, ‘We can’t sign up for this thing at school. It’s gonna cost money. We can’t do this other thing.’ You know, $20 here, $20 there, those things, we can’t do it. We have to cut everywhere we can,” Ellie Walker said.

The cuts add to anxiety as they wait for some sign that the shutdown will end.

Help for Georgia military families and federal employees

Data from the Department of Defense shows that there are 65,259 active-duty military personnel in Georgia, the sixth most in the country. Many military families are worried about the impact of missed paychecks.

There are more than 81,000 federal civilian employees in Georgia, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Several companies and nonprofit organizations are offering resources to help them.

Military

• The Military Family Advisory Network launched an emergency grocery support program to help active-duty, National Guard, and military reserve families put food on the table. Eligible households can apply here to receive a box of shelf-stable groceries shipped directly to their door, along with a commissary gift card. Most boxes arrive within just a few days, offering fast peace of mind in a time of ongoing uncertainty.

Federal employees

• Georgia Power and The Salvation Army work together on Project SHARE. Qualified households can receive direct assistance to help prevent utility disconnection and evictions.

• Verizon announced this week that it was offering flexible payment arrangements for federal workers who’ve been furloughed or laid off. The company has also offered help to first responders and members of the military.

State of Georgia resources

• The Department of Labor says furloughed workers may be eligible to apply for unemployment insurance benefits.
• However, if they receive back pay, the department says they’ll have to repay unemployment benefits paid during the shutdown.