Airports set up donation drives for unpaid TSA officers during DHS funding crisis
As the lapse in funding at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues, many Transportation Security Administration officers (TSA) are "struggling."
Fundraisers have begun popping up at airports across the country.
Some TSA officers are receiving only partial paychecks — while many are receiving no pay at all.
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Deondre White, a TSA officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C., told Fox News Digital this week that officers are "financially trying to do the best that they can."
Denver International Airport in Colorado posted on X, "DONATIONS NEEDED! Support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards."
The post continued, "Visa gift cards cannot be accepted."
It suggested that "drop-off locations can be found at Final Approach cell phone lot and in the Jeppesen Terminal," the post continued.
The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) in Nevada announced it's partnered with the Children’s Cabinet to deliver critical resources directly to impacted federal employees, such as weekly groceries.
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Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority President and CEO Cris Jensen announced the collaboration in a press release.
"We are incredibly grateful to our TSA officers at RNO, who continue to show up every day to keep our community safe, even while facing uncertainty," said Jensen in the release.
"Their commitment to public safety does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate our community and the Children’s Cabinet for stepping up to support them," he added.
In Seattle, the airport opened a TSA food pantry to support officers.
"If you’d like to help, donations of non-perishable food, hygiene items, and diapers can be dropped off at the SEA Conference Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m," the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport posted on X.
Over 300 airport security officers have left TSA since the start of the DHS shutdown, with callouts — or unscheduled absences — rising to an average of 6% during the shutdown, a TSA official confirmed to Fox News Digital this week.
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White said that thanks to the financial support of his family, he's been able "to show up" for his work.
"I'm thankful for my family to be able to come to work and be able to provide gas [to travel to work] because the gas prices have been rising," he said.
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"However, there are a lot of officers here who do not have those resources or family commitments from others [to help them out]."