The Sikh community in Phoenix has gifted a union that represents Transportation Security Administration employees in the region $11,000 in gift cards to grocery stories and gas stations to help cope with the recent partial government shutdown, a community member told the Washington Examiner Thursday.
Suminder Singh Sodhi, a leader of an unnamed Sikh awareness group in central Arizona, said Sikhs in the community held a private fundraiser to help federal workers who were required to work without pay from Dec. 22 through Jan. 25, triggered by the standoff between President Trump and congressional Democrats over a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
“Collectively, we raised funds within a week to help our TSA workers who have not gotten paid for 35 days,” he said.
Sodhi said roughly 40 people donated a total $11,000, which was then broken down into $20 denominations for employees, through its union. TSA told the Examiner it has 950 uniformed officers in Phoenix and a total of 1,200 in the state.
The Sikh group met up with TSA Wednesday night for an informal ceremony that was complete with an oversized check symbolizing the gift cards. It’s not clear if the donation will be given to employees only in Phoenix or dispersed to personnel around the state.
The American Federation of Governmental Employees did not return a request for comment.
Sodhi said Sikhism is about serving one another, and they chose to get involved because TSA employees are members of their community.
“Very much in our Sikh community, it talks about giving back and helping those in need,” Anjleen Kaur Gumer, a member of the Phoenix Sikh community, told Arizona Central.
The Arizona president of AFGE, Juan Casarez, was at the ceremony Wednesday night and gave the Sikh group a plaque to thank them for their gift.
Federal workers are expected to be paid for time worked by Saturday.
