Federal workers, missing paychecks, head to Long Island food banks amid uncertain future
Jessica Valdes, 51, of Islip, said she is a civilian employee of the U.S. Army Reserve who has been furloughed. In her job as a family programs support assistant, "I normally connect our service members and military families with resources," such as food banks like Long Island Cares.
Now Valdes said it's her family who is in need of assistance, since neither she nor her husband — also a federal employee on the job as an essential worker — is getting paid.