Summer Kerksick thought a government job meant safety and stability. At 24, she worked for the Department of Commerce, helping small-town businesses break into global markets. It felt like meaningful work, something to be proud of.

Now, she is lining up for canned beans and rice at a food bank. The government shutdown, which began in October and remains ongoing, has turned her life upside down.

She is not alone. Over 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed, and like Summer, many thought a government job was the safe bet. But missing paycheck after paycheck changes everything fast.

Summer didn’t panic at first. She assumed it would last a week, maybe two. She even used her paid time off to soften the blow. However, as the weeks passed, her financial cushion began to shrink.

She rents a one-bedroom in Silver Spring, Maryland, for $1,535 a month. Her income wasn’t high to begin with, and both of her paychecks were already spoken for: one for rent, the other for food, insurance, and basic needs. Now, both are gone.

Young Alumni / IG / Summer says she doesn’t feel ashamed about going. She feels shocked by how many people were already in line.

Summer has dipped into her emergency fund, but even that can only last two months. That is, if nothing else goes wrong. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and she is now deep into the danger zone.

Groceries, Rent & the Line at the Food Bank

To survive, she has had to get resourceful. Her landlord hasn’t responded to her request for a rent delay. She’s applied for unemployment and a local job program for federal workers. But none of that puts food on the table right now.

So, she turned to something she never thought she would need, a food bank. Specifically, a Capital Food Bank event for furloughed federal workers in D.C. The first time she went, she waited over two hours. She left with canned beans, rice, chicken, and spaghetti sauce.

It wasn’t glamorous. She forgot to bring a bag. But it got her through another week of meals. The second time, she came prepared. She walked away with fresh collard greens and tomatoes, enough to stretch a few more dinners.

That is what sticks with her most, just how widespread this has become.

Stuck in a Limbo

Young Alumni / IG / Savings help, sure. But they don’t stretch forever. And when both paychecks disappear, it is a race to make every dollar count.

Summer is doing what she can to keep her life together. She is running again, training for a 5K. She crochets stuffed animals to stay busy and keeps the TV on with crime documentaries to distract herself from the stress.

The Silver Springs, Maryland, resident knows this isn’t a vacation. She can’t just leave town or pick up a new full-time job. And she is still technically employed. She could be called back any day. That is the limbo of a furloughed worker - stuck waiting, unable to move forward or plan ahead.

Summer got a bit of relief when two missed paychecks were processed in late October, enough to cover November’s rent. But she knows that it isn't over until the shutdown ends. And there is still no end in sight.

That is why she is eating beans and rice three nights in a row and spending hours in food bank lines.

The hardest part, she says, is how people view those lines. They assume everyone there is lazy or taking handouts. However, the truth is that many of them, like her, are public servants who have simply been caught in the middle of a political standoff.