COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, has now become the second-longest in U.S. history.
Since then, nearly 1.5 million civilian workers have been furloughed, or are working without pay.
Local organizations in Colorado Springs are stepping in to help those affected. Poor Richard’s Restaurant is offering free meals to federal employees and their families.
Local credit unions like Ent Credit Union are also providing financial assistance to those impacted by the shutdown. News5 first spoke with Ent Credit Union at the start of the shutdown in early October.
Three weeks later, the financial institution says it continues to see federal workers seeking support.
Casey Perkins, Senior Vice President of Consumer Lending at Ent Credit Union, says about 1,000 members have reached out for deferment programs so far.
Ent is also offering additional options, such as refinancing existing loans.
“We were able to refinance her auto loan, which afforded her a 90-day delay on her first payment,” said Perkins. “We also granted her a loan to cover lost income.”
He says every situation is different, and the credit union is working with each member individually to meet their needs.
At Poor Richard’s Restaurant in Downtown Colorado Springs, News5 met federal employee Kyiesha Coachman.
“I didn’t think it was going to last this long,” said Coachman.
She hasn’t received a paycheck this month and is relying on her personal savings for now.
“I just try to minimize the debt,” she said. “I think it’s nice that credit unions are giving zero-interest options.”
She says October has been manageable, but if the shutdown continues into November, she may need to start cutting back on spending.
“I think October was okay,” she said. “We’ll see what the future holds.”
Perkins says Ent Credit Union will continue its relief efforts for as long as needed.
“We’ll continue these efforts,” said Perkins. “If we need to do more, we’ll talk about that as well."
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