He’s a father of four and a federal employee. Dinner these days: bread and cheese
Kevin Garfinkle says his faith in humanity has been restored.
A father of four young children, Garfinkle has all the stress he needs at home. It’s trained him for his chosen line of work — a federal employee at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport. The 33-year-old Garfinkle is not able to say which agency he works for, but it’s one that involves a lot of interaction with the public.
And these days, he says, the comments he gets have been a lot nicer than usual.
“[Passengers] have been understanding of the situation,” he said. “They’ve been more receptive to follow our orders.”
It’s a small comfort, but comes nowhere close to squaring the following: Garfinkle has not been paid in a month because of the partial government shutdown.
“It’s kind of stressful — you know you’re supposed to be providing for your family,” he said. “But we’re not providing for our families.”
According to data compiled by the Washington Post, just 2 percent of the approximately 800,000 workers who have been furloughed by the federal government reside in Florida. Still, that represents more than 16,000 workers, the largest share being those who work for the Department of Homeland Security — like Garfinkle — or the U.S. Department of Transportation. And a majority are located in Miami Dade and Broward counties.
Garfinkle says that due to the sacrifices they’ve had to make, his family has practically turned vegan.
“It’s been rice and beans one night, or bread and cheese,” he said. “You can’t have the luxuries you used to have.”
Garfinkle was among the first of his coworkers to start a GoFundMe page, through which he’s raised $4,376, well past his $2,000 goal, thanks in part to some media attention the page has received.
“I did not do it lightly — it was something I struggled with,” he said about publicizing their plight. His wife, too, was reluctant to let others know they need help. “It took a lot to swallow my pride and put myself out there.”
Garfinkle is among hundreds of federal employees — including dozens in South Florida — affected by the shutdown who have set up GoFundMe pages. Many contacted by the Herald said they were afraid to talk to the media, or could not, because of their federal employment rules.
But their stories paint a similar picture: Of never imagining they would have to ask for help.
“After working for the Department of Homeland Security for almost 10 years (anniversary on 1/18/19), I find myself in a position I never thought I would be in while employed for the U.S. government,” writes Miami resident Celia Bedeau on her campaign’s page, which has raised just $305 out of her $3,250 goal. Bedeau did not respond to a request for comment.
“This government shutdown has changed my life drastically in a matter of weeks,” she continues. “I’ve almost completely exhausted what savings I have and have no idea when I’ll see another paycheck. I’m the breadwinner in my family with two children (ages 9 and 4). This will cover our expenses for the upcoming months including daycare, rent, food, clothing, gas, and utilities.”
The GoFundMe strategy worked so well for Garfinkle that other coworkers have followed suit.
One is Shiva Mahabir, 33. The father of a 17-month-old, Mahabir says he was initially reluctant to ask for help. But at some point he realized he was left with no choice.
“I take on the majority of expenses and finances,” he said. “So right now the situation on this furlough status and not getting paid, it puts us in a very tight situation.”
While his wife remains employed, they still need help. So far he’s raised $1,585 of his $2,000 goal.
“It puts pressure on my wife, my family, not even just from a financial standpoint. Mentally, physically — it affects your daily routine.”
As the shutdown rolls past a full month, the toll on South Florida furloughed federal workers and their families has become apparent, with organizations like Feeding South Florida working overtime to provide food and resources to suddenly needy households.
What is less apparent is how the personal stress could end up impacting the broader public if it bleeds into the workplace.
Daniel Garcia is one of approximately 350 employees at Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center, responsible for coordinating flights over the skies of southern Florida.
Garcia says that he and his coworkers have lived through past shutdowns without much trouble. This time, he says, morale at the facility, located just northwest of Miami International Airport, has sunk to dangerous lows.
“The mood is very grim,” he said. “Just the talk alone of what people are going through, what their plans are — these conversations are distracting in the workforce. We need to be well-rested to do our jobs — we can’t have tired controllers driving Uber or Lyft.”
Garcia and his coworkers are relying on personal loans from friends and family, as well as other maneuvers. Garcia says his wife is making enough money, for now, to support their two young children.
Still, he says he has already had to ask his mortgage company for a forbearance and plans on reaching out to his creditors, like his credit card company, to see if he can defer those payments.
“These are things that all of us here are having to do,” he said.
He says the usual repair schedule for the facility has gone out the window, and only emergency repairs take place.
“Safety has taken a hit,” he said. “The system is built on multiple layers of safety and redundancy. As time goes on we lose layers of safety.
“People are getting angry and depressed.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 7:00 AM.
