Krystina Gloria, guest columnist
Our government cannot decide on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and the men and women who serve our country — and their families — are paying the price. As the wife of a servicemember and mother of two, this is a terrifying time.
As a full-time Georgia Southern University student, it could mean choosing between my career and finding any job I can to make sure my children have food. Because Congress has not passed a new budget, the federal government has shut down. Thousands of people are being furloughed or losing their jobs, and military members may not be paid — even though they are still required to report for duty.
Late one Wednesday night, I called my mom crying after checking my WIC benefits and seeing four little words: “No Future Benefit Items.” WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, is a federal nutrition program that provides low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 5 with formula, baby food, healthy foods and support for healthy growth. My benefits were set to refresh in about two weeks, and I had been calculating how much I could use before we ran out. I could just barely stretch the cereal if my 5-year-old skipped breakfast for a week. Oatmeal or Pop-Tarts would have to do. Milk would last only three weeks because my 1-year-old drinks two 8-ounce bottles daily, meaning I would need to buy at least one gallon.
The stress over WIC was compounded by uncertainty about my husband’s pay. He is currently deployed and has served in the U.S. military for nine years, but his paycheck could be withheld through no fault of his own. Others who are furloughed at least have the chance to find new work. Servicemembers do not have that option; they must work as if it is any other day, whether or not they are paid. Usually, I do not worry about rent or groceries. Even when he is sick or there is a holiday, I know he will be paid. The shutdown brought the one thing military families know too well: uncertainty. It struck at the only stability we have — financial security. Back pay may come eventually, but it does not prevent eviction, damaged credit or going hungry while waiting for funds.
Child care is expensive, so many spouses stay home to care for children rather than work just to cover its cost. Some, like me, are full-time students on top of being full-time parents. Most households rely on a single income, so a withheld paycheck — or multiple paychecks, depending on how long the shutdown lasts — can mean the difference between normal life and suddenly having no home, food or vehicle. After our WIC scare, my mom sent money for milk and diapers, remembering how tough it can be financially, even without a shutdown.
We live at the whim of the government: we move where they want us, we move when they want us, and we do not get paid unless they allow it.
Recently, my friend worried her husband, returning from a yearlong rotation, might not report to his next duty station on time because of a stop-movement order issued during the shutdown. A week after his return, they learned he still had to move with less than a month to pack and ship their lives across the country.
They faced uncertainty about paying for the move, whether they would need a new credit card, or if they would have to live apart while waiting for paychecks. Her husband could get in trouble for reporting late. They could lose the chance to live on the new base if they did not sign for the house in time. They could even be evicted from their current home. The anxiety of potentially packing up their home at a moment’s notice, knowing their livelihoods depend entirely on others’ decisions, has kept her up at night.
Daily life is expensive without adding a move. Most spouses on our base use community Facebook pages to share food and resources. Second Harvest hosts a monthly drivethrough food donation, and families post items they will not use for others. Many wait in line for hours because donations run out quickly. Many military families rely on WIC, as I do, because a servicemember’s paycheck alone cannot support a family of four.
As military spouses and children, we often hear: adapt and overcome. I want my husband to continue serving the country he loves, but I also want to return to the stability his job provided when the government was not arguing like siblings over a toy.
This shutdown has caused me and many others a lot of stress over our families’ futures. We hope an agreement is reached soon because we can only stretch so far, even with community support. It is hard to live with constant anxiety, but small acts of kindness — a neighbor sharing food, a mom helping another with babysitting, a moment of laughter with my children — remind me that we are resilient. Together, we will get through this.
Editor’s Note: Krystina Gloria is a student at Georgia Southern University and an Effingham Herald intern.