United Airlines Donated $1 Million to Government Shutdown Response Fund

As thousands of federal workers struggled without paychecks during last month’s record-long government shutdown, United Airlines donated $1 million to the Shutdown Response Fund, an organization that helped provide food to federal workers.

“On behalf of the United family, I would like to thank the countless federal employees who have made a large sacrifice to ensure our safety despite not being paid, and we hope this contribution provides them much-needed support," said Oscar Munoz, chief executive officer of United Airlines.

The longest-ever government shutdown ended on last Friday when President Trump signed a bill to reopen the government for three weeks, giving 800,000 federal workers a chance to get paychecks that had been withheld since the shutdown started on Dec. 22, 2018.

Even with the government reopening last Friday, there is still a lingering impact for “many hardworking families,” Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement.

"This donation will support Feeding America member food banks as they provide immediate and longer-term assistance to people impacted by the furlough as they get back on their feet in the coming months."

United said that its aim in supporting Feeding America was to help support workers who work side-by-side with its team to get travelers to their destinations safely. It also helped Feeding America, which is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, set up food distribution centers at seven of its hubs and New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The airline is distributing care packages to federal employees twice a week throughout February.