Piedmont Triad International Airport on Nov. 3 opened a five-day donation drive aimed at supporting TSA officers and air traffic controllers who have been working without pay amid the current federal shutdown. The Airport Authority accepted non-perishable food, household essentials and personal-care items through Nov. 7 at its office on the departure level, door No. 4; cash and gift cards were not accepted.

The drive reflects an immediate, tangible community response to a policy shutdown that removes paychecks from federal workers while leaving essential services in place. Executive Director Kevin Baker framed the collection as a show of community solidarity: “This is an opportunity to show support for those who help keep our airport safe and operating every day.” The Airport Authority coordinated logistics and collection at the terminal to make it straightforward for passengers and county residents to contribute.

For Guilford County, PTI functions as a transportation hub and an employer nexus; disruptions to workers’ incomes can ripple into reduced local spending, higher demand for social services and strain on small businesses that rely on steady passenger traffic. While the airport continues to operate, the unpaid status of security and traffic control staff raises concerns about household budgets for those employees and the broader local economy if the shutdown persists.

Local retailers and community organizations often step in during such periods, supplying donated goods and volunteer support. By specifying non-perishable items and personal-care products, the airport aimed to meet immediate household needs without creating cash-handling complications. The restriction on gift cards and cash donations reflects both administrative simplicity and security considerations for managing contributions at an active airport facility.

The collection drive also highlights a recurring policy vulnerability: essential federal work that cannot be paused during budget impasses but whose workers may face weeks without wages. For local policymakers and county services, that reality increases pressure to coordinate emergency supports—food banks, short-term assistance and employer outreach—to stabilize affected households and maintain consumer demand in the short term.

Airport leaders and community groups say such efforts both provide direct relief and maintain morale among frontline workers. If the shutdown extends, longer-term effects could include reduced discretionary spending in Guilford County’s hospitality and retail sectors, potential overtime and staffing adjustments at PTI, and increased calls on nonprofit safety nets.

Residents who used PTI during the collection period had a nearby opportunity to contribute to colleagues in the transportation and security workforce. The drive underscores how federal budget decisions can translate quickly into local economic and social stresses, and how community-level responses can mitigate some immediate hardships while broader policy solutions remain unresolved.