Copyright AL.com
Airports are supposed to hum with purpose, from the precision of control towers where air traffic controllers guide planes to safety to Transportation Security Administration agents who keep passengers moving through security. Each role is vital to keeping the skies and terminals running smoothly. But when the federal government shuts down, the rhythm goes off kilter. With the current shutdown reaching record territory, worries have crept in over paying for groceries and meals. Across Alabama and the country, airports have become microcosms of the broader shutdown’s impact as they turn into makeshift local food banks, with airport authorities and businesses stepping in to sustain the workforce that keeps air travel moving. At airports in Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville, partnerships with local food banks have delivered hundreds of meals to federal workers. In Birmingham, a special pop-up food bank called “Operation UpLift” joined the Birmingham Airport Authority with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. On Thursday, 250 people received food during a drive-through distribution. “Right now, these workers are coming in and getting the job done even though their paychecks are on hold,” said Ron Mathieu, President and CEO of the Birmingham Airport Authority. “Like many of us, they have families to support and bills to pay.” In Mobile, the Airport Authority worked with Feeding the Gulf Coast to host a food distribution event for federal employees Wednesday at the Mobile Regional Airport. “It was a simple way to support those who have continued to report to work during the government shutdown,” said Devon Sellers, the airport authority’s spokesperson. Feeding the Gulf Coast has organized similar efforts for TSA workers in Pensacola and Panama City Beach. Amanda Young, a spokesperson for the organization, said the Mobile distribution included 4,300 meals made up of fresh produce, shelf-stable items and protein. Huntsville-Madison County International Airport is also considering an on-site food bank to reach directly to federal workers. Mary Swanstrom, spokesperson with the Port of Huntsville, said that airport officials are coordinating with the TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration by directly delivering meals and supplemental meals with drinks, snacks, etc. She said several restaurants and local businesses have also provided meals and assistance to local federal employees. The North Alabama Food Bank is also offering assistance to furloughed federal workers, she said. Smaller airports are also looking to bring meals directly to the TSA workers. In Gulf Shores, Airport Director Jess Fosnaugh said his team is in contact with the TSA workers to “ensure that they have what they need to continue operating” during the shutdown. “They are remaining in good spirits and I’m hopeful that the government shut down comes to an end soon,” Fosnaugh said. He said the airport is looking to do a meal drive for the airport’s 15-20 federal workers, as well as a canned food donation. The activities at Alabama’s airports are similar to what airports nationwide are doing as the government shutdown is now on its 29th day. Airports in Detroit, Las Vegas and elsewhere are pushing forward with creative arrangements to find ways to develop meal programs for federal workers. The Wayne County Airport Authority in Detroit, for instance, teamed up with concessionaires at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to create a federal meal program where employees can spend up to $20 a day for food and drinks at restaurants and stores within several terminals, according to the Washington Post.
