BOISE, Idaho — As TSA officers at the Boise Airport help keep travelers moving, the Idaho Foodbank is stepping in to help some of them keep food on the table.
A new donation is meant to support federal workers facing added strain. Local food bank leaders say the need can hit even people with full-time jobs.
WATCH: TSA agents at Boise Airport receive food from the Idaho Foodbank
At the Boise Airport, TSA officers spent part of the day unloading seven pallets of food from the Idaho Foodbank. The delivery included produce, packaged items, and shelf-stable groceries meant to help workers still reporting for duty during the shutdown.
Union leaders say that after more than 40 days without a paycheck, the pressure is no longer hypothetical.
RELATED | Working without pay: Boise TSA agents feel the strain of no paycheck as travel ramps up
"I don't understand how they said they can pay TSA officers now when they couldn't before, you know. Everything we've always learned about shutdowns is [that] you can't pay people during a shutdown, but now they're saying that they can pay us, so it makes no sense," Lead TSA Officer Cameron Cochems said.
"These are things that are happening as we speak. People are having to ration their medicine, you know, because they can't afford any of that," Cochems said.
These are not people waiting in line for public assistance. They are full-time federal workers, now relying on emergency help to fill the gap.
The Idaho Foodbank says when the call came in from union leaders, it moved quickly to get help to the airport.
"We were thankful we were able to step up and help them out during this time," said Director of Programs and Partnerships Jana Wolf. "We're just fortunate to be able to come out on short notice and be able to do this distribution."
Cochems says this food donation matters because it allows TSA workers to spend money on other necessities.
ALSO READ |
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
