Struggling federal workers turn to crowdfunding, 'to stay afloat, basically'

Fred Jennings, 67, holds a placard stating "NEED TO WORK" while gathering with area elected officials and furloughed federal workers at a rally in front of Independence Hall on Jan. 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo credit Mark Makela/Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some 800,000 federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay during the partial government shutdown. With no end in sight, some have turned to popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe.  A Lehigh valley man who asked not to be identified has raised $1,600 of his $2,500 goal.   "To pay bills," he said. "To stay afloat, basically."

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Eager to return to work, he sums up the experience as "disappointing."  "I feel like we are being punished. I think we're being held hostage, because those two entities can't get along and can't come up with a compromise," he said.  Erin Austin also has been able to raise money through a GoFundMe campaign — almost $500 in less than a week. "Unfortunately I had to pull my son from his afterschool program because I couldn't afford to pay for it," she said. "I've been trying to find little odd jobs doing a little babysitting here and there, trying to make a few extra bucks, just so I can give my kids food." She started her campaign after reading about other furloughed workers' campains, and she says she was shocked by the reponse.  "I've seen more people show kindness," she said. "It felt more like family. People are reaching out. It really helps."  A spokeman for GoFundMe told CNN the site is hosting approximately 1,800 campaigns for furloughed workers, which have raised over $400,000.