{"id":96141,"date":"2019-04-12T10:30:49","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T14:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//?p=96141"},"modified":"2019-04-11T10:44:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T14:44:24","slug":"opening-doors-federal-government-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//opening-doors-federal-government-shutdown/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141//","title":{"rendered":"Opening Doors During the Federal Government Shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

It does not take an economics major to understand the effect that one missed paycheck can have on an individual or a family. It means mortgages may not be paid. Basic utility bills could be overdue. And a simple pizza night would be considered a luxury./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

Many of these situations were a reality for nearly 800,000 governmental employees and their families during the federal government shutdown from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u201cIf I didn/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019t /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2014 or if somebody didn/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019t /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2014 do something right away, we were going to have some families that were in a lot of trouble./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u201d /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2013 Jessica Manfre, UCF Online student/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

Jessica Manfre, a Masters of Social Work online student, experienced the effects of the shutdown firsthand at the U.S. Coast Guard/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019s Training Center Cape May in New Jersey. As the wife of a Senior Chief of the Coast Guard Scott Manfre, Manfre has been a part of a nonprofit organization called, Jersey Cape Military Spouses Club, which allowed her to assist families in need./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u201cI watched the political climate. I just knew that [the shutdown] was going to continue and we were going to miss paychecks. And if I didn/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019t /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2014 or if somebody didn/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019t /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2014 do something right away, we were going to have some families that were in a lot of trouble,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u201d she says./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

As a result of her work helping others, Manfre recently was named the Armed Forces Insurance/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2019s Coast Guard Spouse of the Year and will be considered for the Military Spouse of the Year Award to be announced May 9 in Washington. She is nominated with spouses from the other branches of the military /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/u2014 Air Force, Army, Marines, National Guard and Navy./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n

As a student, mother and military spouse, Manfre said her passion is helping military families gain access to mental health resources, especially for veterans who are affected by substance-use disorders./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/96141/n