How the Coast Guard Foundation Is Supporting Members and Families During the DHS Shutdown

The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard protect America every day by rescuing lives at sea, securing borders, defending ports, and keeping maritime commerce moving. They show up regardless of the conditions. Right now, those conditions are among the hardest the service has recently faced -- and the Coast Guard Foundation is responding.

The ongoing DHS funding lapse is creating genuine hardship for Coast Guard members and their families. Here's what's happening, and what the Foundation is doing about it.

The DHS Shutdown's Impact on the Coast Guard

The Coast Guard is the only branch of the U.S. armed forces affected by the partial government shutdown that began February 14, 2026. The funding lapse stems from an impasse over appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security.

Now more than 75 days into the shutdown, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday testified before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on April 28.

Pay Uncertainty

Emergency funding used to pay Coast Guard members and civilian employees earlier in the shutdown is in danger of running out. The service's nearly 10,000 civilian employees went without a full paycheck from February 16 through early April, when a presidential directive temporarily restored their pay. That funding is again at risk, and Coast Guard leadership has warned that pay could halt as early as this week.

Coast Guard Stations Without Water and Electricity

The Coast Guard has more than 5,000 unpaid utility bills. Over 100 utility providers have threatened to cut off electricity and water to Coast Guard stations and air stations. Some Coast Guard families living in government housing have already had their electricity shut off.

Mounting Debt for Coast Guard Families

Members preparing for this summer's transfer season face mounting debt due to restrictions on advance travel reimbursements. They are being forced to take on large personal debts to follow military orders to new duty stations. Many have postponed medical treatment or delayed needed purchases due to pay uncertainty.

Civilians Pushed to the Limit

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Phil Waldron shared a stark example at the April 28 hearing: a Coast Guard civilian stationed in Ketchikan, Alaska, sold his car to pay rent before emergency funding became available.

"Our total workforce has spent a majority of this fiscal year operating under uncertainty, fear and anger caused by a lapse of appropriations," Waldron said. "The dangerous missions that our folks conduct every day require their complete and total focus. That focus is dangerously fractured when they're worried about paying their rent or supporting their families."

Mission Readiness at Risk

The Coast Guard is also delaying maintenance on the vessels it uses to carry out its missions, potentially damaging them and endangering the crews that operate them. Despite this, Coast Guard members continue to carry out their missions with extraordinary professionalism. But Commandant Lunday was clear: the stalemate is "needlessly harming our people and hollowing out our readiness."

A Force That Keeps Delivering — No Matter What

The hardships of this shutdown stand in sharp contrast to the Coast Guard's performance record. In 2025 alone Coast Guard members:

• Saved 5,220 lives and assisted more than 19,000 in search and rescue operations
• Seized 511,000 pounds of cocaine— a record — preventing an estimated 193 million lethal doses from reaching U.S. communities
• Facilitated 1.8 billion tons of cargo safely through U.S. ports and waterways
• Intercepted and chased away five Chinese research vessels operating over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Arctic, threatening American sovereignty. 

This is what a fully committed force can do — even when it is being let down by the system around it.

How the Coast Guard Foundation Is Responding

For more than 57 years, the Coast Guard Foundation has been a steadfast partner to the Coast Guard. Through every budget fight, every storm, every moment of uncertainty since 1969, we have been there. This one is no different. As the DHS shutdown extends into its fourth month, we are leaning into the programs that matter most right now: the ones that sustain morale, strengthen mental resilience, and support Coast Guard families through hardship.

Since 1969, we have provided more than $122 million in direct support to Coast Guard members and their families. Here is where that support is going today.

Morale and Wellness Programs

When members are stationed far from home, standing long watches, and facing financial uncertainty on top of the demands of service, a strong sense of community can make a critical difference. We are funding morale projects so Coast Guard crews can recharge and sustain.

Mental Resilience and Chaplain-Led Programs

Mental resilience is just as important as physical readiness. In 2025, we funded 58 resilience programs that reached more than 7,100 Coast Guard members and family members -- from suicide prevention training and marriage enrichment workshops to resilience retreats and spiritual fitness events. We are in frequent contact with field commanders and the Chaplain of the Coast Guard’s office to support efforts that maintain resilience in the face of this uncertainty.

Programs that Strengthen Families

Summer is already a challenging season for Coast Guard families with military moves, deployments, and transitions. The Foundation's youth enrichment program helps Coast Guard children attend summer camps, explore their interests, and build confidence and new friendships. We are pushing out more than 1,300 grants to allow Coast Guard kids to attend summer camp and 241 education grants to help spouses improve their careers, something most Coast Guard families cannot do when paychecks are in jeopardy. We are also reviewing 400 scholarship applications from Coast Guard children attending college and trade schools, so their schooling is not interrupted.

Emergency Relief and Family Support

When emergencies strike, the Foundation is there. In 2025, we provided emergency disaster relief grants to 17 Coast Guard families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by flooding and wildfires, and we supported 21 families following the death of a Coast Guard member or immediate family member. Right now, we are providing emergency relief to families whose homes have been flooded in the upper Great Lakes and damaged by the recent super typhoon. We are also providing tragedy assistance to several families whose member was killed or seriously injured or have lost a spouse or child. 

Stand with the Coast Guard Community

The Coast Guard Foundation's work is made possible by a community of more than 20,000 donors who believe that those who protect America deserve to be taken care of in return.

Right now, with the DHS shutdown continuing to harm Coast Guard members and their families, that support is more meaningful than ever. A gift to the Coast Guard Foundation goes directly to the programs that lift morale, strengthen mental resilience, and help Coast Guard families survive and thrive.

If you want to support this work, we invite you to make a gift today.

Support Coast Guard Members and Families →

📞 860-535-0786 | ✉️info@coastguardfoundation.org | 

Sources: CBS News, April 30, 2026; Military Times, April 28, 2026; Testimony of Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, April 28, 2026.

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Disclosure: AI was used in the creation of this content.