By Brett Hetherington*

The government shutdown affected many people around the country.  Some of those are people that the average American citizen may not realize have been impacted. At the Akron-Canton Airport there are over 90 people who have been working since the shutdown began and have not yet received a paycheck. This is the story of Tuscarawas District churches responding to the need of people in their community.

At the end of the second day of collection for the Transportation Safety Adminstration (TSA), Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) and other technicians at the Akron-Canton Airport who have been working without pay, there was an abundance of food, toiletries and gift cards. Agent after agent was able to collect what their family needed, and each was humbled and blessed by the 14 churches who contributed. Exclamations ranging from “Oh my gosh” to “I am overwhelmed” hung in the air as people were able to see the church share the love of God without strings attached.

One agent even asked “Which church is doing this?” When told it was The United Methodist Church, his response was simply, “It figures.”

If you have a story of how God is using your local church to make a difference in your community, please contact me at bhetherington@eocumc.com.  The East Ohio Conference Communications team wants to tell your story.

*Brett Hetherington is the Communications Specialist for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.