PENDING THE OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION. AS THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STRETCHES ON– AGENCIES ACROSS OUR AREA ARE NOW FEELING THE EFFECTS. WJCL 22 NEWS’ GRACE RODRIGUEZ SPOKE TO SOME GROUPS THAT ARE BRACING FOR IMPACT. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN IN A SHUTDOWN PERIOD FOR JUST OVER TWO WEEKS… LEAVING MANY LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL RESOURCES TO FEEL STRAINED. FROM NONPROFITS TO AIRPORTS… SEVERAL AGENCIES ACROSS OUR REGION ARE PREPARING FOR WHAT’S TO COME… AS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES AFTER SEVENTEEN DAYS. I SAT DOWN WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ONE NONPROFIT… THAT GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, JOB PLACEMENT, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES… SHE TELLS ME THAT THEY COULD SENSE A SHUTDOWN LOOMING, SO THEY WEREN’T SURPRISED WHEN IT HAPPENED. TRES HAMILTON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COASTAL GEORGIA AREA COMMUNITY ACTION AUTHORITY “RIGHT NOW, WE’RE AT A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE OF COURSE, OUR ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK PROGRAM, IT STARTS WITH THE OCTOBER 1ST DATE. TRYING TO SAY WE’RE CONTINUING SERVICES AS USUAL, HOPING THAT WE’RE NOT, THAT THE SHUTDOWN IS NOT GOING TO LAST A LONG TIME AND THAT, PRETTY SOON WE WILL HAVE SOME DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR SERVICES.” HAMILTON TELLS ME THAT 99 PERCENT OF THE COASTAL GEORGIA AREA COMMUNITY ACTION AUTHORITY IS FEDERALLY AND STATE FUNDED… THE REST OF THEIR FUNDING COMES FROM COMMUNITY DONATIONS AND GRANTS… RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE MAKING THINGS WORK WITH A GRANT THAT WILL LAST THEM THROUGH MARCH OF NEXT YEAR. HAMILTON TELLS ME SHE’S MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO RELY ON THE NONPROFIT’S ASSISTANCE… THAN THE NONPROFIT ITSELF. TRES HAMILTON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COASTAL CRISIS. THEY COME TO US IN CRISIS A LOT OF THE TIME. SO AS IT RELATES TO THAT, THEN IT’S REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WHEN THEY COME TO US LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE, WHETHER OR NOT WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEED IT THE MOST.” OTHER AREAS ACROSS OUR REGION THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN INCLUDE THE SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… THEY TELL ME VIA STATEMENT THAT THEY HAVEN’T SEEN ANY ISSUES WITH FLIGHT DELAYS OR CANCELLATIONS… AN ISSUE THAT OTHER AIRPORTS ARE DEALING WITH NATIONWIDE… AS ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION. REPRESENTATIVES WITH THE AIRPORT TELL ME THAT THEY’RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL STEP UP TO HELP THE AFFECTED STAFF… LIKE THE SAVANNAH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE… AND INDIVIDUAL AIRPORT CONCESSIONAIRES, ALTHOUGH THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO SPECIFY WHICH ONES. I REACHED OUT TO THE SAVANNAH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THEY’RE WORKING TO HELP THOSE STAFF… I HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK. AS THE SHUTDOWN CONTINUES, HAMILTON SAYS SHE’S UNSURE OF WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD… SHE’S HOPING THAT THINGS CAN WORK OUT F
Day 17 of U.S. government shutdown: Savannah airport, nonprofits brace for impact
The current shutdown is the third longest in modern U.S. history.
Updated: 6:53 PM EDT Oct 17, 2025
Agencies across the region are feeling the strain as the U.S. government shutdown stretches into its seventeenth day. Local organizations and resources are bracing for the impacts, like the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority and the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.Nonprofits in particular are preparing for challenges ahead. Tres Hamilton, Chief Executive Director of the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, said her organization anticipated the shutdown before it began and has been working to mitigate its effects. Hamilton says that the nonprofit, which provides financial assistance, job placement, and educational resources to those in need, is 99% funded by federal and state dollars. She explained that the nonprofit is able to sustain operations during the shutdown because of a specific grant that runs through March 31. Other programs, which would have started at the beginning of this month, have been put on hold.“Right now, we’re at a lot of uncertainty,” Hamilton said. “Our energy assistance program and community services block program start with the October 1st date. We’re continuing services as usual, hoping the shutdown doesn’t last long and that we’ll soon have the funds to continue our work.”Hamilton says that she’s not so much concerned about the nonprofit during this time as she is for the families who rely on their services — many of whom are already in crisis. “When they come to us looking for assistance, we want to be able to help them at a time when they need it the most,” she said. “We have families that are working 2 or 3 jobs, trying to meet one paycheck in order to make ends meet.”The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is also monitoring the situation. While other airports nationwide have reported flight delays and cancellations due to the shutdown, representatives from SAV tell WJCL 22 that they have not yet seen this happen. However, they are preparing for potential impacts and anticipate support from the community. They told us via statement that the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is working with other organizations to ‘collect things that would be helpful to those Federal workers who aren’t getting paid’. They also shared that airport concessionaires are welcome to offer assistance by way of discounted or free meals; however, it’s up to the individual concession stores to do so.We reached out to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and are still waiting to hear back.The current government shutdown is the third longest in U.S. history, following those of 1995 and 2018-2019.
Agencies across the region are feeling the strain as the U.S. government shutdown stretches into its seventeenth day. Local organizations and resources are bracing for the impacts, like the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority and the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.
Nonprofits in particular are preparing for challenges ahead. Tres Hamilton, Chief Executive Director of the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, said her organization anticipated the shutdown before it began and has been working to mitigate its effects. Hamilton says that the nonprofit, which provides financial assistance, job placement, and educational resources to those in need, is 99% funded by federal and state dollars. She explained that the nonprofit is able to sustain operations during the shutdown because of a specific grant that runs through March 31. Other programs, which would have started at the beginning of this month, have been put on hold.
“Right now, we’re at a lot of uncertainty,” Hamilton said. “Our energy assistance program and community services block program start with the October 1st date. We’re continuing services as usual, hoping the shutdown doesn’t last long and that we’ll soon have the funds to continue our work.”
Hamilton says that she’s not so much concerned about the nonprofit during this time as she is for the families who rely on their services — many of whom are already in crisis.
“When they come to us looking for assistance, we want to be able to help them at a time when they need it the most,” she said. “We have families that are working 2 or 3 jobs, trying to meet one paycheck in order to make ends meet.”
The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is also monitoring the situation. While other airports nationwide have reported flight delays and cancellations due to the shutdown, representatives from SAV tell WJCL 22 that they have not yet seen this happen. However, they are preparing for potential impacts and anticipate support from the community.
They told us via statement that the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is working with other organizations to ‘collect things that would be helpful to those Federal workers who aren’t getting paid’. They also shared that airport concessionaires are welcome to offer assistance by way of discounted or free meals; however, it’s up to the individual concession stores to do so.
We reached out to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and are still waiting to hear back.
The current government shutdown is the third longest in U.S. history, following those of 1995 and 2018-2019.