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With the government shutdown now entering its fourth week, furloughed federal employees are feeling the stress of no paychecks and no certainty about returning to work. While we continue to urge the administration and Congress to end this shutdown, we have also been working to find resources to assist our members in need:
United Way: “2-1-1” is a service maintained by the United Way around the country. 2-1-1 is committed to helping employees and communities impacted by the federal government shutdown. Furloughed federal employees in need of assistance should call 2-1-1 to get help.
2-1-1 specialists can help connect NTEU member to food pantries, health care services, utility and eviction prevention assistance and a wide variety of additional services. Callers also can also receive information on mental health counseling, transportation, substance abuse recovery services, and child care assistance.
2-1-1 is a free, confidential referral and information service that connects people to a specialist who can help find local health and human services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information visit www.211.org. There is a special section of the website dedicated to services available for federal employees impacted by the government shutdown. This section of the 2-1-1 website lists resources and support being offered from companies like AT&T, Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Quicken Loans, and many federal employee credit unions around the country.
In addition, many local United Ways employ labor staff who work throughout their communities to assist union members in accessing local services. Local union members should contact their local United Way and ask to speak with a 2-1-1 representative or visit www.211.org. They should inform the 2-1-1 representative that they are a furloughed federal employee and inquire about services and assistance that may be available. To connect to local United Way labor staff, you may also contact Erkeisha Terry at: 313-330-6465.
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