Cape May County is a proud community. Proud of its history, proud of its beautiful beaches and proud to be a Coast Guard Community. The community came together to provide unparalleled support for the Coast Guard during the longest government shutdown in history.
The shutdown started at midnight Dec. 22, 2018 and ended 35 days later, on Jan. 25, 2019. The Coast Guard was the only branch of the military financially affected by the shutdown, being under the Department of Homeland Security. While paychecks were funded on Dec. 31, 2018, the Jan. 15, 2019 paycheck was not received.
At first, the immediate needs were donations to the food pantry. Various locations in Cape May County collected items for donations such as diapers, formula, canned goods, non-perishables and gift cards. With the impending possibility of missing the Jan. 15 paycheck, multiple local businesses offered discounted or free meals to active members of the Coast Guard. Concern continued to grow as to when the government would reach a deal to re-open.
Three Levels of Aid
“The community supported our local Coast Guard during the shutdown on three levels,” Mike Couch, executive director of the Coast Guard Community Foundation, said. “Many individuals and businesses had food drives and overwhelmed the food pantry.”
Food Pantry
The food pantry is available at all times, not just during government shutdowns. The pantry is run by the Jersey Cape Military Spouses Club. With the swift call to action for pantry donations, soon enough the small closet space that housed the pantry was overflowing and more room was needed.
Coast Guard spouse Jessica Manfre stepped in to help organize the expanding pantry.
“Jessica saw a need and stepped in to help and when she did, I don’t think she had any knowledge that it would turn into what it did,” Couch said.
The expanded food pantry filled warehouse space, overflowed into hallways and additional industrial refrigerators and deep freezers were brought in to help store perishable donations.
The response was so momentous, food donations were able to be sent to Coast Guard countrywide.
Financial Support
The next level in which the community responded was financially.
“The financial side of the response helped with personnel who had bills to pay,” Couch said. “The Coast Guard Mutual Assistance was offering loans; the American Legion was offering grants and other organizations assisted financially with discounted meals and services so that families would have more funds to pay living expenses such as rent and cell phone bills.”
When Jan. 15 came and went with no end to the shutdown in sight and another missed paycheck, concern and stress continued to increase.
“Not knowing how long the shutdown would last, we reached out to Crest Savings Bank about a loan program,” Couch said. “We were discussing creating a long term plan, should the shutdown continue.”
Local Programs
Local businesses supported $250,000 worth of collateral to help Coast Guard personnel to get an interest-free loan with no credit check, to help them get through the next paycheck,” Couch said. “We had others in the wings ready to commit another $250,000.”
The day the shutdown ended, the Coast Guard Community Foundation was meeting with the Ocean First Foundation to discuss a grant program,” Couch said. “Everyone was looking for a way to help and didn’t want families to struggle during this time, with all the emotional stress and uncertainty this shutdown created.”
