COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the government shutdown continues, federal workers are seeing the affects in their wallets.
Now, local groups are reaching out to the community to help keep federal employees afloat.
"Many of these public workers average $500 a week in take-home pay," says Jennifer Tague, field director for the South Carolina AFL-CIO. "That's not a lot, they're living paycheck to paycheck."
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a federal union that has been helping federal employees around the state, including TSA agents and federal corrections officers.
Many of those workers are having to choose what to pay for as they failed to receive a check last Friday.
"Without a paycheck it's a choice between do I have to put gas in my car to get to work or do I provide food?" says Tague. "Do I pay the mortgage, do I buy my kid's medicine this month? There are a lot of single parents out there and there are a lot of people taking care of their elderly parents."
Local leaders and community groups have helped. On Saturday, Kristian Niemi, chef and owner of Bourbon in Columbia, delivered food to TSA agents at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. On Monday, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin also delivered food to the airport.
Tague says gas cards, gift cards to grocery stores and food donations can be dropped off at these locations:
Bourbon - 1214 Main St. Columbia, SC
Reformation Lutheran Church - 1118 Union St, Columbia, SC
For more information on how you can help, check out the SC AFL-CIO website here.