United Way of Dane County Helping to Meet Food and Fuel Needs

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MADISON, WIS. (Thursday, March 26, 2026) – The hospitality industry has teamed up with local support agencies to aid federal workers during a difficult time. Despite no pay for several weeks, local TSA team members have shown up for work at Dane County Regional Airport with patience and a welcoming spirit. While the industry has provided some meal relief to TSA workers, their needs have deepened as the government’s TSA shutdown has lingered. Now the larger community has a chance to make an impact with a new food and fuel initiative through the United Way of Dane County.

The new initiative will help unpaid federal workers purchase much-needed food and fuel to help with their daily lives. Funds from the campaign will be used to purchase Kwik Trip gift cards for the more than 100 TSA workers who continue to do their jobs without pay.
“Our TSA officers are not just federal employees, they are members of our community who show up every day to keep travelers safe and our airport running smoothly. They are part of what makes Dane County Regional Airport such a welcoming and easy place to travel through,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “In this moment, it is inspiring to see our local hospitality community stepping up to support them and their families. That spirit of care and connection is what defines Dane County.”

“We are so grateful to our hospitality industry, who have provided meals to TSA workers the past few weeks. Now, thanks to our friends at United Way of Dane County, our entire community has the opportunity to help ease the strain these workers face during this difficult time,” said Ellie Westman Chin, Destination Madison President & CEO.

Please visit https://unitedwaydanecounty.org/tsarelief to make your donation today. *Note – if funds aren’t fully distributed before the shutdown ends, unused contributions will be sent to Dane County food banks and pantries.

The post March 26, 2026: Local Hospitality Community Seeks Help in Supporting Unpaid TSA Workers at Dane County Regional Airport appeared first on United Way of Dane County.

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MADISON (WKOW)  |  Wyatt Bandt  |  October 17, 2023  A new app is making it easier for people to get around-the-clock help from the United Way.

The United Way of Dane County 211 Wisconsin app can help users find food, rental assistance, addiction treatment and even health and human services resources.

The resource isn’t just available for Dane County — the Columbia, Sauk, Iowa, Rock, Green and Lafayette county communities are also able to use it to find help.

Ed Wall, director of 211, says the app does more than connect people to agencies.

“Our specialists are trained to identify root causes of a client’s problem – and provide callers with a wide range of available resources that meet all their underlying needs, not just the one that prompted the call, text or email.”

He said the app will let them reach more people who need help.

The app is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. There are also kiosks that have the app on them so everyone has access to the resource.

Read the Full Article Here

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