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TRS Supports Federal Workers

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TRS Supports Our Federal Workforce

This public webpage is designed to support TRS members who are part of the Federal workforce. Please check back here often to learn of resources available that we are able to pass along to you.

Meeting for TRS Members who are part of the Federal Workforce

Please join us for our second meeting of TRS Federal employees, contractors, and retirees. The goal of this gathering will be to offer a safe and confidential space to discuss the current situation, your thoughts and concerns, and to offer each other support. Please note this invitation is for TRS members only and is specifically for federal employees, contractors and Federal retirees.

Next meeting: TBA - Please check back at this page.

Resources to Help Federal Workers

1. Attorneys who are available to help (some are pro bono, some require payment). TRS is not endorsing any lawyer or organization.

  • Whistlebloweraid.com This an organization providing legal help to federal employees. They are accessing a pool of lawyers coalescing to help those in need.
  • List of federal employment law specialists, generated by one of our federal retired attorneys. Click here for the PDF.
  • Here is a list of other employement lawers by another TRS attorney. Click here for the PDF.
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2. Legal Suggestions Here is a list of TRS members who are offering to be mentors/advisors to fellow members who are federal workers. Click here for PDF (still gathering names).

3. Senator Tim Kaine (VA) wrote a message Friday to Federal workers. In it he lists resources. Click here to go to Senator Kaine’s message.

4. Representaive Jamie Raskin (MD) held a webinar today about this issue. View it here.

5. Resources Cautioning about the “Fork in the Road” Deferred Resignation “officer”:

  • Article by Michelle Singletary in Feb 2 Washington Post Repeated Feb 5. Contains multiple reasons strongly advising government employees not to exercise the “Fork in the Road” resignation “offer.”
  • Protect Democracy: information to help federal employees separate truth from fiction on the “Fork in the Road” email before the February 6 deadline [click here]
  • Civil Service Strong FAQ on Fork in the Road [click here]
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6. Resources for Federal Employees in General

  • Justice Connection: [click here]
  • The Partnership for Public Service: (PPS) New Federal Employee Resource Hub [click here]
  • PPS: Free webinars for federal employees on current challenges [click here]
  • It is suggested you should download your SF50 and LES and other documents as soon as possible.
  • Webinars from National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. They have been hosting webinars this week. To see their archive of webinars on this topic, go here. to see upcoming webinars, go here.
  • Civil Service Strong ( a project of Democracy Forward and partners – contains general information). Website
  • If You Can Keep It (a project of Protect Democracy and partners). Article: “What Civil Servants Need to Know in Week Two“
  • Democracy 2025 Resource Center (a coalition of a number of organizations) challenging and tracking challenges to certain administration actions. Website
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7.  Assistance specifically for DOJ/FBI employees

  • Justice Connection: Defending and advising DOJ/FBI employees: [click here]

8. Assistance specifically for USAID employees

TRS Supports Our Federal Workforce and Contractors

This public webpage is designed to support TRS members who are part of the Federal workforce. Please check back here often to learn of resources available that we are able to pass along to you. If there is something that you want to see on this page, please email .

Scroll down and you’ll find:

  • TRS Events for Federal and Furloughed Workers
  • Other Announcements
  • Resources

Our Caring Committee wants to help you! The Caring Committee knows how difficult things have been lately, and we want to support you. Our Caring volunteers would love to give you a break from meal planning and prep by providing meals now and again for you and your family, delivered to your home (with any dietary restrictions taken into account). If you would love a few nights free from thinking about dinner (of course you do, right?!), please sign up by emailing to let us know, and we will contact you with more info. Childcare, Eldercare, meal trains, other caring resources may be available. Let us know what needs you have, or resources you can offer.

Signal App: If you are a TRS member, we have a private group on the Signal app just for us to communicate about federal worker issues. If you would like to be included, please email .

Financial assistance is becoming available through TRS via our own members’ gifts and funds through the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington for our members impacted by changes to the federal workforce and federal grant funding. If you would like to apply for assistance, please be email our Director of Philanthropy, Hannah Moore.

TRS Events

The government shutdown has ended, so our federal members will be allowed to return to work (and thank you to those who had to work without pay during the shutdown)! While we will miss spending some time with you and sharing “furlough-nuts,” we’ve cancelled the Wednesday Furlough-nuts and Coffee meetups. At the same time, we, your community here at Temple Rodef Shalom, continue to support our federal community as they navigate the anxiety and concerns brought on over the last months. 

Other Announcements

posted 11/10/25

Stargazing, anyone? The Brown Planetarium in Arlington is offering a show to federal employees! Information below:

The Friends of Arlington’s Planetarium (FOAP) is thankful for all our federal workers. In recognition of your service we’d like to offer you and your families the opportunity to attend a free screening of the full dome planetarium show The Great Solar System Adventure at the David M. Brown Planetarium in Arlington, VA, on Saturday November 29, 2025 at 7pm.

The Great Solar System Adventure showcases showman extraordinaire “The Great Schiaparelli” as he takes the audience on a death-defying space-time adventure within his wondrous Observatorium. From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, prepare to be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our Solar System, on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is.

This 25 minute show is suitable for general audiences. Following the show, we will have a brief Star Talk about what is visible in the night sky this time of year.
The David M. Brown Planetarium is owned and operated by Arlington Public Schools (APS) and is open to the public during special programming events sponsored by The Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium.

The David M. Brown Planetarium is located at 1426 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA and there is free parking available in the lots adjacent to the dome.

To register to attend this free screening for federal employees, please email with your name and how many people are in your group and use “Federal Employee Show” in the subject line of your email. We will accept registrations (and a limited number of waitlist requests) until we are at capacity.

posted 11/4/25

Hebrew Free Loan‘s Furlough Loan Program provides interest-free loans of up to $18,000 ($3,000 per month) to help cover essentials like rent, utilities, and groceries. If you or someone you know is feeling the impact of the shutdown, we encourage you to reach out.Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve expanded our capacity, shortened our turnaround time, and reduced guarantor requirements, allowing us to respond quickly to urgent needs. Your continued support helps ensure that when times are tough, no one has to face them alone.

posted 11/3/25

Thur, Nov 13, 3:00–6:00 PM | Legal Clinic to Support Federal Workers: Many federal workers in our region, including in our Jewish community, have been fired or fear losing their jobs. The JCRC of Greater Washington and Rise Up Federal Workers Legal Defense Network are hosting a free virtual legal clinic. They are seeking volunteer attorneys and welcoming federal workers needing assistance. Click here for more information and to register.

Posted 3/17/25

Meeting Notes: We had a small turnout of folks at our meeting on Sunday. There were retirees and current workers there. This is a really great opportunity to just share, yell, scream, or get logistical help with moving forward. I encourage you to come to the March 30 meeting. I will announce before then, if I am able to get a mental health professional there to facilitate it. I do want to point out that the TRS Caring Committee is offering to provide food to federal workers who just need a break and feel the warm embrace of your TRS community. Email if you want more info.

Resources

Here are some resources for federal workers that might be helpful during this shutdown. We especially thank the Women Lawyers on Guard Action Network for sharing much of this information and Women’s Bar Association of DC for compiling it.

As many of you know, right now, hundreds of thousands of dedicated public service and mission-driven professionals are staring at pink slips and RIF notices, wondering if their years of service meant anything at all.

But we know something: this isn’t the end of their story. These aren’t just career transitions. They’re purpose resurrections.

When traditional systems didn’t exist to support displaced workers, we didn’t wait for someone else to build the bridge. We became the bridge.

I’m excited to join the Planting Possibilities Campaign (organized by the team at Grounded Idealist), where I am offering pro-bono coaching to government employees who have lost their jobs. I’m not just a supporter. I’m someone who has witnessed the incredible transformation that happens when displaced workers get the right support at the right moment. I’ve watched people reclaim their sense of purpose when they thought it was lost.
We’re not just raising funds. We’re raising up an entire community of change makers who refuse to let disruption define them. Thank you for helping us plant seeds that will grow into forests of possibility. The future of purpose-driven work starts with us.

  • Federal Unionists Network resources for terminated federal workers, workers seeking to unionize or strengthen their union, and general resources for federal workers.
  • Posted 5/21/25: Volunteer to be a part of the federal worker phonebank. From their website: “Through unlawful national security exclusions, nearly all members of our federal unions have been denied their union rights under law and contract. As part of that attack, federal agencies have dropped nearly all members from payroll deduction, meaning they need to sign up again as members to stay in the fight. For the next five weeks, Labor will stand firm with AFGE and other federal union members to reclaim our power. We are asking every union member to reach out to another potential union member and invite them to join or rejoin their union, paying directly to their organization. Your participation in phone banking today is a clear signal from the labor movement that we intend to control our unions. With the attached link, please select two phone banking shifts for each week to help support federal employees taking control of their lives.” They are asking people to be on a phone bank, joining virtually from anywhere. Starting this week!
  • A new group called Federal Workers Legal Defense Network was organized to fight attacks on the rights of federal workers. Their site also has letter writing suggestions for saving federal agencies, as well as a link to the Bluesky and Instagram sites which provide info on court rulings.
  • The Public Service Alliance (PSA) is a nonpartisan prevention, crisis response and resilience network for current and former public servants at every level of government regardless of political affiliation. On this site are tools, services, and expert networks to help with legal and financial issues, responding to the crisis and enhancing well-being and resilience. There are several different PSA hubs on the site to help you in these areas. If you want to volunteer to partner with them, you can fill out this online form.
  • The Federal Workers Legal Defense Network launched their website with information on pro bono legal advice. Here is their webpage to access services.
  • An article in the April 16 Atlantic Magazine called Federal Workers Are Facing A New Reality.
  • Capital Area Food Bank provides food for Federal Workers.
  • The Partnership for Public Service is supporting civil servants with their resource hub.
  • Posted 3/24/25 Moment magazine article about what the DC area Jewish community is doing to help federal workers.
  • Posted 3/23/25 Congressman Don Beyer’s email to his constituents about what he is doing to help federal workers.
  • The Social Justice Committee has a blog page that also may have events and resources for federal workers.
  • Govexec.com website has information and up to date news for federal workers.
  • Pay and Benefits Watch from the Govexec website on pay and benefits issues during a shutdown and related stories including a crash course in retirement planning.
  • Posted 3/6/25 Article about Alexandria supporting Federal Workers
  • Fairfax County Federal Worker Resource Hub webpage.
  • Virginia announces Job Hub for Commonwealth residents impacted by the federal job cuts.
  • Representative Don Beyer’s website resource page for federal workers.
  • The non-profit organization, Protect Democracy, has a portal, that is anonymous and confidential, for documenting specific information about federal contract terminations, examples of impacts on projects, programs and operations, staff cuts and data access issues without using personal information.
  • Federal workers who have a disability can read this informational document from Bazelon Center, ACLU and DREDF about your rights.
  • The law firm James and Hoffman has posted on their website that they are also about to file a suit on behalf of probationary employees (they have received over 800 inquiries) that they indicate will utilize different arguments than the ones being advance by Democracy Forward.
  • If you are a probationary employee, you may want to check out this resource from Protect Democracy.
  • Women Lawyers On Guard have updated its resource document of legal resources for federal workers.
  • Read HR-related OPM memos posted by the Chief Human Capital Officers Council.
  • Read the White House’s EO page. These sites are where you can read the original documents without having to go through media or other sites.
  • Erica Newland of Protect Democracy’s article on Feb 11 called Dear Civil Servant
  • On retirement benefits: This web article by a law firm representing federal employees rights speaks about some employees have considered voluntarily resigning out of the fear that being fired would jeopardize retirement benefits — but this is not the case for the vast majority of federal employees, according to the article.
  • On the “Fork In The Road” Offer: Federal labor unions sued (read the law suit here) to block the “Fork in the Road” offer, questioning whether it would be honored and arguing it violated the law. Here is an article by Iowa Public Radio website explaining how a US District judge agreed to stop — for now — the deferred resignation program from being implemented.
  • On eligibility for unemployment: When the “Fork” offer was still on the table, Washington Post reporters answered questions from readers, including whether people who accepted the offer would be eligible for unemployment benefits where they lived. (Answer: for many people, it’s unlikely.)
  • On the rights of probationary employees: Here is an FAQ on Just Security’s website about probationary employees who have fewer employment protections than non-probationary employees — but that doesn’t mean there are none.
  • The Federal Workers Rights blog maintained by the law firm James & Hoffman.
  • Senator Tim Kaine’s resources page for federal workers includes a kind statement that is worth a read.
  • Representative Jamie Raskin’s resource page is here
Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)