Government Shutdown Resources for You
Have you wondered, "When will this government shutdown end?" or "When it ends, will I still have health care?" I have. As of October 22nd, 2025, the United States government has been shut down for 22 days. As a Washington, DC resident, this directly affects my community, as many DMV residents are federal workers and rely on that source of income to feed their families.
The government shutdown has created an environment of stress, uncertainty, and financial hardship for the furloughed federal employees and their families. To no surprise, the Trump Administration has guaranteed the FBI's "Special Agents" that they will continue to be paid during the shutdown, but no guarantee for the furloughed federal workers. The goal of this article is to provide the community with valuable resources and programs they can use to survive during this time. Below is a list of resources I have compiled for those in need:
Food Resources:
To find local food banks, please visit Feeding America and enter your zip code to find nearby food banks.
For DMV Residents: Capital Area Food Bank provides free food at five locations on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Times & Locations:
Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, 7721 Barlowe Rd, Hyattsville, MD 20785
Wednesday: 10:00 am – 11:30 am, 6001 Executive Blvd, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Friday:
11:00 am – 1:00 pm, 7511 Fordson Rd, Alexandria, VA 22306
11:00 am – 1:30 pm, 5343 C St SE, Washington, DC 20019
Saturday: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, 10739 Tucker St, Beltsville, MD 20705
Please bring your government ID to the food bank's pop-up to receive free food, such as fresh produce and shelf-stable items.
Financial Assistance:
Suppose you are a furloughed federal employee and need financial assistance. In that case, your first stop should be to check with your banks to see if they offer any resources or loans to assist federal workers during the government shutdown.
The Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) provides Government Shutdown Assistance grants & Emergency Hardship Loans for qualifying full-time federal civilian employees. Listed below are the details & eligibility requirements of each program:
The Shutdown Assistance Grants: These are micro-grants of $150 to support federal employees during the shutdown, covering essentials like groceries, gas, diapers, and other necessities.
Eligibility:
Direct-hire, Civilian Federal Employee who has been furloughed or working in excepted status, with a current salary of $59,999 or less, including locality pay.
Provide a copy of your furlough or excepted status notice AND a copy of your most recent leave and earnings statement/paystub when you received pay. These documents must be in PDF, JPEG/JPG, or PNG formats, or we cannot open and review them.
Approval:
If approved for a $150 grant, you will receive an email with instructions on accessing an electronic payment card. This is a one-time grant, and individuals may receive only one grant for the government shutdown.
Due to the high volume of requests, it may take a week or more to review applications and process payments.
Where to apply: Click Here
Emergency Hardship Loans: This is a regular part of the FEEA that provides qualifying federal workers a loan of up to $2,000 with no fees or interest.
Eligibility:
A qualifying hardship does not include pay loss during a government shutdown.
Full or part-time permanent federal civilian or postal employees, employed with the federal government for more than one year.
The hardship must have occurred within the six months preceding the loan application and be the cause of the current financial emergency.
If you are a federal employee who has been laid off this year.
Where to apply: Click Here
Several Federal Credit Unions are aiding furloughed federal employees, offering no-fee or no-interest loans to those affected. Listed below are the credit unions and banks offering assistance:
Navy Federal Credit Union: Offering income-based loans from $250 to $6,000 with 0% APR during the government shutdown.
Eligibility:
You are a federal government employee or federal contractor paid directly by the government, or a military service member whose direct pay deposit will be impacted by a government shutdown.
Your regular direct deposit was processed into an active Navy Federal account immediately before the failure to pay ("last eligible direct deposit")
USAA: Offering a 0% interest loan equal to the amount of your net pay, from $500 to $6,000, with repayment options of 60 to 90 days after the government shutdown ends.
Eligibility:
A member employed by an impacted federal agency, and you direct deposit your government paycheck or pay.
An account holder on the impacted USAA Bank account.
As of the federal payment disruption date, you must have direct deposit set up for a USAA Bank checking or savings account.
Receive at least one qualifying direct deposit to that account within 30 days before the start of the disruption.
Based on your state's unemployment agency, furloughed federal employees can apply for the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Program (UCFE). This program compensates former federal civilian employees who are unemployed due to no fault of their own.
Childcare:
For mothers and pregnant women affected by the government shutdown in the DMV, visit the Greater DC Diaper Bank to find a local partnering organization that distributes free diaper products of all sizes.
This is a general list of resources and programs tailored to help anyone affected by the government shutdown. Please check your state's website for additional resources specific to your state's residents. The government shutdown may last longer than the last, but if we continue to uplift each other and provide support, we can move forward together. If you know of anyone affected by the government shutdown or even have any additional resources, please leave a comment below and share. We are stronger together!