Houston Food Bank hosts event to help federal employees not being paid during government shutdown

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- We are now four weeks into the second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history. We've seen delays and cancellations across travel, economic growth, and benefits. For the tens of thousands of federal workers in our area, the shutdown also means no paychecks. Eyewitness News went by the Barnett Stadium in southeast Houston to see the first of several planned food distribution events put on by the Houston Food Bank for federal workers and those receiving food stamps. See upcoming distributions: Special Distributions for Neighbors Experiencing Paycheck or SNAP Benefit Interruptions People started lining up early. Many of them were receiving food assistance for the first time in their lives. Dominique Anderson was laid off during this shutdown. "When I first started working for the FDA, I really thought it was the best career move, that it was going to push me forward professionally," she said. "Honestly, this has been devastating. I have a mortgage." Many federal workers, like an employee ABC13 interviewed at the Housing and Urban Development, said they are afraid of losing their jobs if they show their faces on camera. "I never thought in a million years I'd be in line to get some food," she said. "It's humiliating. I have been working for 30 years in my career. I had to apply for unemployment. I haven't done that before." Wayne Barber told us he's been an air traffic controller for 23 years. "Since the shutdown started, I've worked four overtimes. I'm still going to show up to work because that's what I swore an oath to do," Barber said. "In the military, you swore the same oath to defend this country. I work for the people." But this father of five says he needs help now. "It doesn't matter, left, right," Barber said. "We just want to get paid for what we do." Also in line were those who receive food stamps. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the SNAP program is ending Nov. 1. "Take care of your people first," Juanita Cavazos, who receives SNAP benefits, said. "That's not happening. We have to take care of ourselves." Cavazos said she is a disabled veteran. "That's the saddest thing about it. You know, you go and you give up your life almost, and then to be in these circumstances in the United States, that's just unforgiving," she said. Houston Food Bank officials estimate there are 50,000 federal employees in the Greater Houston area. According to the food bank, there are 425,000 households in the Houston area that rely on food stamps. For more on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia on Facebook,X and Instagram.