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Coast Guard towns preparing aid for unpaid Coasties – Metro US

Coast Guard towns preparing aid for unpaid Coasties

The Hull Lifesaving Museum was built to honor the legacy of Captain Joshua James, the “father of the United States Coast Guard,” who dedicated his life to rescuing over 1,000 shipwrecked sailors off of the coast of the peninsula town just south of Boston.

Now, the house where the Coast Guard was born is collecting non-perishable foods, toiletries and gift cards are the three items for guardsmen who are working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown.

“This is a community-driven effort, this is a way for to show support,” Victoria Stevens, museum executive director said. “They did not reach out for help. We responded to a community wide effort.”

The museum has partnered with the Wellspring Multi-Service Center to plan for an anticipated uptick in donations, as the Guard missed their first check on Jan. 15.

There are about 40 guardsmen serving at the Point Allerton Station in Hull, and while no one from the station has asked for help, Wellspring Director Vinny Harte said that the need is apparent.

“It has to be pretty hard for them to feel appreciated,” Harte said. “This is a betrayal from their government, but when the chips are down, the people in their immediate community will step up to help where they can. We want them to know that we have their back.”

The estimated 42,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard are the only branch of the armed forces who are operating without a paycheck, as they and the TSA are funded by the Department of Homeland Security. Members of the army, navy, air force, Marines and other employees in the Department of Defense are still paid during the shutdown.

Democrat State Rep. Patrick Kearney and Republican State Sen. Patrick O’Connor, from the neighboring towns of Scituate and Weymouth respectively, proposed a bill that would require the state to pay the salaries of the nearly 2,000 active-duty Coasties who live in Massachusetts. The state would be reimbursed by the federal government once the shutdown ends.

“It’s fundamentally unfair that working families suffer because our politicians can’t do their job,” Kearney posted on his Facebook page. “I’ve filed bipartisan legislation that would make sure residents of Massachusetts in the United State Coast Guard will be paid until the government is reopened. The State will be reimbursed once the shutdown ends, but this law would make sure our Coast Guard personnel are able to pay their bills while the shutdown drags on.”

Meanwhile, local businesses like Cumberland Farms on Nantasket Ave. are offering free coffee, and Hull Auto are offering free urgent auto repair and oil changes to active Coast Guard members.