ATLANTA — As TSA workers prepare to go another week without a paycheck, Atlanta resident and media mogul Tyler Perry wants to help.
Sources confirmed to Channel 2’s Karyn Greer that Perry wanted to give cash to TSA employees at the Atlanta airport this week. He and his team learned though it’s not that simple.
TSA officers are not allowed to receive cash or gift cards at screening areas, according to a DHS spokesperson. The TSA officers union, however, says it doesn’t have the same restrictions.
Aaron Barker, president of the AFGE Local 554 in Georgia, said they can accept donations to distribute to their members. He recommends those who want to donate look up their local union district on the AFGE website.
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For more than a month, TSA agents have not collected a paycheck as the partial shutdown goes on. Many of them are struggling to feed their families as the shutdown continues.
That has led nonprofits across metro Atlanta to host food drives.
Channel 2 Action News was at one hosted by Sunshine Brotherhood, a ministry and nonprofit at Salem Bible Church, on Tuesday. Their volunteers gave up their time and resources to make sure TSA workers and their families don’t go hungry.
“Sunshine filled in the gaps when we had the furlough workers, the federal workers, the first time. We filled in a gap when the SNAP was missing and taken from families that are in need. Now, we got TSA workers again,” coordinator Tylisha Sampson said.
Sunshine Brotherhood says they will keep packing boxes for TSA workers as long as the need continues.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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