INCLUDING ROBBERY AND HARASSMENT. TIME NOW IS 1208 AS THE PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES, THOUSANDS OF TSA WORKERS ARE GOING WITHOUT PAY. NEW AT NOON, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER CARLOS FLORES IS SHOWING US HOW PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS STEPPING UP TO HELP ITS EMPLOYEES. RIGHT NOW. WITH THE PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUING, TSA WORKERS ARE STILL WORKING WITHOUT PAY. SO LEADERS WITH THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK ARE TEAMING UP TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THESE WORKERS ARE GOING HUNGRY. WITH FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AT A STANDSTILL, AGENTS LIKE TSA OR CBP ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITHOUT PAY. LEADERS WITH PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SAY THEY’VE BEEN DOING THEIR BEST TO SUPPORT THOSE WORKERS DURING THIS TIME. WE’VE DEPLOYED OUR OPERATIONS TEAM TO AS WELL AS OUR VOLUNTEER AMBASSADORS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN THE CORRECT LINES, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY NEED TO CHECK LUGGAGE, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF REAL ID REQUIREMENTS, THINGS THAT TSA, YOU KNOW, MIGHT DO IF THEY WERE FULLY STAFFED. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ASSIST, TO HELP STREAMLINE THAT SECURITY EXPERIENCE AS WELL. THEY’RE ALSO STEPPING UP TO MAKE SURE THEY DON’T GO HUNGRY AT WORK OR AT HOME. OBVIOUSLY, THEY’RE HERE 24 OVER SEVEN, 365. SO IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT THEM DURING THIS TIME, WHETHER IT’S PROVIDING FREE LUNCHES TWICE A WEEK, PROVIDING THE FOOD PANTRY WITH THE GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT THEM. THE FOOD PANTRY HAS MORE THAN 8,000 POUNDS OF PREPACKAGED MEAL BOXES AND FRESH PRODUCE, AND WITH HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES BEING AFFECTED, LEADERS WITH THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK SAY THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MEET THIS NEED AS LONG AS IT TAKES. THESE WORKERS ARE ESSENTIAL TO KEEP OUR REGION SAFE, MOVING. IF TSA WORKERS WEREN’T AT THE AIRPORT, NO ONE WOULD BE TRAVELING, SO IT WOULD BE A BIG GRIDLOCK THERE. SO IT’S OUR JOB. IT’S NOT ONLY AN ORGANIZATION, BUT A COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS FOOD PANTRY WILL BE OPEN TWO DAYS A WEEK, EVERY TWO WEEKS.
Pittsburgh airport, food bank opens pantry to aid TSA and CBP agents working without pay
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT Mar 19, 2026
With the ongoing partial government shutdown continuing in Washington, Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Pittsburgh International Airport are working without pay. Starting Thursday, the airport and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank teamed up to open a food pantry to support those employees.Leaders at Pittsburgh International Airport say they have done their best to take the strain off travelers and TSA agents.”We’ve deployed our operations team to, as well as our volunteer ambassadors, to make sure that people are in the correct lines, to make sure that people know when they need to check luggage, to make sure people are aware of REAL ID requirements, things that TSA, you know, might do if they were fully staffed. We want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to assist, to help streamline that security experience, as well,” said Bob Kerlik, director of public affairs for Pittsburgh International Airport.The airport is also providing free lunches twice a week.”Obviously, they’re here 24 over seven, 365. So, it’s very important that we do everything we can to support them during this time, whether it’s providing free lunches twice a week, providing the food pantry with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. We want to do everything we can to support them,” Kerlik said.The food pantry has stocked more than 8,000 pounds of prepackaged meal boxes and fresh produce to assist the hundreds of affected employees. Leaders from both organizations said they are committed to continuing this support for as long as it takes. “Yeah. These workers, they’re essential to keep our region not only safe but moving. If TSA workers weren’t at the airport, no one would be traveling. So, it’d be a big gridlock there. So, it’s our job is not only an organization, but a community to support our neighbors in a time of uncertainty,” said Brian Gulish, vice president of marketing and communications at Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.As of now, the food pantry will be open two days a week every two weeks.
PITTSBURGH —
With the ongoing partial government shutdown continuing in Washington, Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Pittsburgh International Airport are working without pay.
Starting Thursday, the airport and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank teamed up to open a food pantry to support those employees.
Leaders at Pittsburgh International Airport say they have done their best to take the strain off travelers and TSA agents.
“We’ve deployed our operations team to, as well as our volunteer ambassadors, to make sure that people are in the correct lines, to make sure that people know when they need to check luggage, to make sure people are aware of REAL ID requirements, things that TSA, you know, might do if they were fully staffed. We want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to assist, to help streamline that security experience, as well,” said Bob Kerlik, director of public affairs for Pittsburgh International Airport.
The airport is also providing free lunches twice a week.
“Obviously, they’re here 24 over seven, 365. So, it’s very important that we do everything we can to support them during this time, whether it’s providing free lunches twice a week, providing the food pantry with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. We want to do everything we can to support them,” Kerlik said.
The food pantry has stocked more than 8,000 pounds of prepackaged meal boxes and fresh produce to assist the hundreds of affected employees.
Leaders from both organizations said they are committed to continuing this support for as long as it takes.
“Yeah. These workers, they’re essential to keep our region not only safe but moving. If TSA workers weren’t at the airport, no one would be traveling. So, it’d be a big gridlock there. So, it’s our job is not only an organization, but a community to support our neighbors in a time of uncertainty,” said Brian Gulish, vice president of marketing and communications at Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
As of now, the food pantry will be open two days a week every two weeks.