Take Action
Choose Your Role — Every Group Has a Part to Play
You have the most leverage of anyone in this fight. Your members trust you. Your contacts move capital and legislation. The three most impactful things you can do take under 30 minutes total — and none of them cost anything.
Do This First
Send the FONA Pathway to Your Chapter
One email to your distribution list could put $10,000 in a member's hands this week — zero interest. Copy the FONA section from this toolkit and send it today.
Get the FONA Pathway →
Before Thursday, March 27
Push Your Senators on the Shutdown Fairness Act
Congress leaves for Easter recess Thursday. The Shutdown Fairness Act (H.R.5801 / S.3012) is AFGE's #1 ask. A call from a local union president lands differently than one from a constituent. Use your direct lines.
Find & Call Your Senator →
This Week
Partner With The Frontline Fund
Give us 20 minutes to understand what your members actually need. We'll build the resource-matching tool around your reality — not ours. No cost, no commitment, no pitch deck.
Schedule a Call →
Build the Future
Nominate a Credit Union for the Day One Ready Coalition
Know a credit union that's already stepped up? Help us recruit them to pre-commit to Day One activation for all future shutdowns. Your referral is the fastest path to expanding the coalition.
Refer a Credit Union →
You've shown up every single day without a paycheck. You don't owe Congress anything. Here's what you can do right now to protect yourself, your family, and the colleagues next to you at the checkpoint.
Do This Right Now
Get Up to $10K — The FONA Pathway
Donate $1 to Friends of the National Arboretum → join Congressional Federal Credit Union → apply for a 0% APR Relief Line of Credit. Zero interest if repaid within 60 days. Back pay is legally guaranteed.
See the 4-Step Process →
Before Your Next Bill Is Due
Call Your Creditors — In Writing
Call your landlord, mortgage servicer, Con Edison, and your credit card company before a payment is missed. Reference the DHS shutdown explicitly. This is the third shutdown — leniency is tighter than before, but proactive calls still work.
See All Programs →
If You Need Food Now
NYC Food Resources — No Wait, No Paperwork
The Food Bank for New York City covers all five boroughs. Income disruption from the shutdown qualifies your children for free school meals immediately. No documentation required at most pantries.
Find Food Near You →
Make Your Voice Heard
Tell Your Story — Contact Your Representative
A personal story from a TSA worker in their district moves a legislator more than any lobby group. One email or call, in your own words, before Thursday March 27 — the last day Congress is in session before Easter.
Find Your Representative →
You've waited in those lines. You've seen the exhaustion on those faces. You have more power than you think — and most of it takes less than 5 minutes.
Most Important — Do This Today
Call Your Senator Before Thursday
Congress goes on a two-week Easter recess after March 27. A 2-minute phone call from a constituent — especially one who flies — matters. Tell them: "Pay TSA workers. Pass the Shutdown Fairness Act."
Find Your Senator →
2 Minutes
Share This Toolkit
Send this page to anyone who flies, anyone who works in government, or anyone who cares. The FONA pathway alone could put $10,000 in a TSA worker's hands — but only if they know it exists.
Copy Link to Share →
Small Gift, Real Impact
Donate to FEEA — $1 Goes Directly to a Worker
The Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund gives $150 emergency grants directly to TSA workers earning under $60K. 100% of your donation goes to workers in crisis — no overhead, no waiting.
Donate to FEEA →
At the Airport
Donate a Gift Card at the Checkpoint
Airports like Seattle, Denver, and Dallas are accepting grocery and gas gift card donations for TSA officers on-site. In NYC, contact the Port Authority directly. Even a $20 Trader Joe's card means dinner for a family tonight.
Contact Port Authority →
This is your moment to demonstrate what mission-driven finance actually looks like. Federal workers are among the safest borrowers in America — employed, guaranteed back pay, and loyal members. The question is whether they'll find you before the payday lenders do.
Join the Coalition
Sign the Day One Ready Pledge
Pre-commit to activating a shutdown relief product within 24 hours of any future federal shutdown being declared. You get a verified badge on our platform, press recognition, and a pre-qualified pipeline of federal worker members.
Sign the Pledge →
Right Now — Active Shutdown
List Your Active Program on This Toolkit
If your institution is already offering shutdown relief, your program belongs on this page. We'll verify and add it within 24 hours. 47,000 unpaid TSA workers in NYC will see it.
Submit Your Program →
Strategic Partnership
Become a Frontline Fund Anchor Partner
We're building the permanent infrastructure that connects your institution with federal workers before every future shutdown — not after. Anchor partners get first-position placement, co-branding, and early access to member matching data.
Explore Partnership →
Expand Your Reach
Co-Promote to the AFGE Member Base
AFGE TSA Council 100 represents 46,000 TSA workers nationwide. A co-branded communication to their membership puts your institution in front of low-risk, mission-aligned potential members at exactly the right moment.
Get in Touch →
The story isn't just the shutdown — it's the infrastructure gap. Workers are turning to payday lenders and plasma donation centers while zero-interest loans sit unused because no one told them they existed. That's the story.
The Untold Story
The $10K Loan No TSA Worker Knows About
The Congressional FCU FONA pathway offers a $10,000 zero-interest credit line to any federal worker — for the price of a $1 donation. Less than 1% of eligible workers have used it. That's your story. We can connect you with union contacts for quotes.
Request a Briefing →
On the Record
AFGE Media Contact — On the Record Now
Tim Kauffman is AFGE's national media contact and is available for quotes, interviews, and on-record comment on the shutdown, worker conditions, and the Shutdown Fairness Act.
Contact Tim Kauffman →
Time-Sensitive
March 27 Deadline — Easter Recess
Congress leaves for a two-week Easter break after March 27. If a deal isn't struck Thursday, workers miss another paycheck in mid-April — potentially surpassing the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The clock is a story.
AFGE Press Room →
Data & Background
Use This Toolkit as a Source
Every resource on this page is verified as of March 2026. Phone numbers, URLs, loan terms, and eligibility criteria have been fact-checked against primary sources. Cite freely — we'll update you if terms change.
Verify a Fact →
You walked past these workers at airport security on your way home last recess. They were working. You were paid. They weren't. There are two things you can do this week that require no negotiation, no compromise, and no political risk.
Vote This Week
Co-Sponsor or Vote for the Shutdown Fairness Act
H.R.5801 / S.3012 requires no new spending. It simply guarantees workers get paid on time during a lapse in appropriations. It is bipartisan. It is endorsed by AFGE, AFL-CIO, NTEU, AFSCME, and four other major labor organizations. Vote yes before March 27.
Read the Bill →
No Vote Required
Share This Toolkit With Your Constituents
Federal workers in your district may not know about the FONA pathway, the FEEA grant, or the FedSupport Hub. Sharing this page through your official channels costs nothing and could put thousands of dollars in a constituent's hands today.
Request a Constituent Version →
Your District
Convene a Credit Union Roundtable
The most impactful thing a congressional office can do beyond legislation is convene the credit unions in their district and ask: "What would it take to pre-commit to shutdown relief for our federal workers?" We'll provide the briefing materials.
Request Briefing Materials →
Long-Term Fix
Support a Standing Shutdown Relief Infrastructure Bill
Beyond the current shutdown, there is no permanent infrastructure to help federal workers survive future lapses. The Frontline Fund is building it — but a legislative mandate for a federal worker emergency fund would make it permanent and fully funded.
Request a Legislative Brief →