The government shutdown directly affects federal employees.

They're placed on temporary unpaid leave or have to work without getting paid until the shutdown is over.

There is a high concentration of federal workers at Fort Campbell who provide essential services like health care, air traffic control and other support for our military.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to Christian County, Kentucky, where a resource fair is underway to help soldiers and civilians.

I'm extremely concerned about the challenges that families are facing at this time in their lives.

Eugenius Norton Davis is a military spouse.

Her husband retired from the U.S.

Army.

Being so close and connected to Fort Campbell and seeing family members civilians on furlough is a concern.

She works as a career coach for the West Kentucky Workforce Board in Hopkinsville, taking part this week and a resource fair for the Fort Campbell Community.

Our federal employees are hurt and they've been over a month now, 35 days since their last paycheck.

Fort Campbell's families are vitally important to our economy.

They're vitally important to Christian County.

They're part of our fabric.

Officials say there are more than 8000 federal workers in the Fort Campbell region that offer support and maintenance for military operations.

Our culture in our community certainly values the military and values the commitment that they sacrifice daily.

City and county officials helped organize the Resource Fair, a one stop shop for the military and civilian communities to see what support services are available to them as they weather the government shutdown.

Some of these federal employees, or the same ones that year after year after year, give to a lot of the organizations in here.

Then now they're on a point to where they have to receive some of those same benefits that they've been helping others get.

Shannon Lane says many military families are facing uncertainty over Snap benefits.

Especially our junior enlisted.

They rely on US Snap benefits, just like anybody else from our community that's in that low income bracket.

Having the uncertainty there on whether they're going to have that substance to be able to feed their kids or to nourish their growing babies in their bellies.

You know, that's that's the true concern.

There's a lot of people are dipping into their savings right now.

I've talked to a few of them here in Hopkinsville and they are dipping into their savings, but thank goodness they had it.

They're into.

But it won't last forever.

The resource fair at Valor Hall in Oak Grove includes banks, utility companies, nonprofits and other groups potentially helpful for those needing assistance.

We're making sure and ensuring that they are aware of all the resources that our agency is able to provide.

We have been able to speak with individuals today that are seeking other career opportunities, or even maybe trying to find out information for family members as well.

It's just one of several events taking place to show support for essential workers at Fort Campbell.

We cook pancakes at the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital on Fort Campbell for almost 500 civilian employees, federal civilian employees there that aren't being paid but are still coming to work every day to make sure that the medical needs of our soldiers are being taken care of.

This says leaders at the local level hope the government shutdown will soon be resolved.

The best outcome for this is this thing will be over with.

We get Thanksgiving coming up again.

Creates that concern for food insecurity.

So, we hope that it's over with relatively quickly.

Kentucky Edition I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you.

Laura.

Feeding America is also hosting a food distribution event tomorrow in Christian County.

Federal workers can pick up a food box at Oak Grove Gaming's Equestrian Center starting at 11:00 Am local time.