(Radio Iowa) – Donations are being gathered for T-S-A agents at the Eastern Iowa Airport, as the agents are working without pay because of the partial government shutdown. The airport in Cedar Rapids is accepting non-perishable food items, household essentials, and gift cards for gas and groceries.
Cindy Garlock is with the organizing group Indivisible Iowa Linn County Metro. She says Indivisible is also collecting goods and delivering them to the airport on a regular basis.
“It’s all about community, and Cedar Rapids is known for pulling together when we need to,” Garlock says. “This is just another time we need to do the right thing for our community members.”
Garlock says the T-S-A workers have found themselves in the middle of partisan fights in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
“They’re doing their job, even though they have missed a paycheck now, and it’s unfortunate,” Garlock says. “They’ve been sort of caught in the crosshairs here when they’re just trying to do their job.”
She says people can make donations at the group’s regular events, or drop off donations at the information desk in the airport terminal from 8 a-m to 4:30 p-m any weekday.
