VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse Hancock International Airport sees major success with food drive on first day
Brooke Killgore: It’s a rainy day at Syracuse Hancock International Airport as the nation hits day 36 of the government shutdown…the longest in U.S. history. But instead of waiting for change, volunteer Fly Guide Bill Wilson is stepping up…helping work a food drive for unpaid federal workers. Wilson says the community support is incredible.
Bill Wilson: Oh, the people have been so friendly. There’s been a lot of drop-offs with folks who come for the food, and there’s other passengers who’ve actually come in. And they’ll stop here first, drop off the food and they go and they take their flights. I’ve probably filled that at least ten times.
Killgore: It’s not just the volunteers that help make this food drive possible; it’s everybody at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. So let’s take a quick trip to Terminal A.
Killgore: Just steps from baggage claim, a room is packed with donations…all gathered in just five hours. And for Customer Experience Manager Matt Shwepka, it’s a reflection of the community that made it happen.
Matt Szwejbka: As you can see, it’s been going pretty well today.
Szwejbka: The big emphasis for this honestly was…were members of the community like were reaching out to us quite frequently. And as the guy who receives all of those inquires from the public, I can very confidently tell you that there’s an outpouring of support from members of the public who want to make a difference. Even if it’s just one bag… we’ve had people today who just scavenge their own pantries who said “I’m flying out at 2 o’clock today and I want to help these people out so I’m going to get there 15 minutes early and make a donation.”
Killgore: With two days to go, the community donated three hundred bags today…showing that even in hard times, hope still takes flight here in Syracuse
Killgore: Reporting from Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Brooke Killgore, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The steady drizzle outside Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Wednesday matched the somber mood of the nation. The United States had entered its 36 day of the longest government shutdown in history, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay.
But inside the terminal, a different kind of energy filled the air. One fueled by generosity, compassion and community spirit.
Volunteer Fly Guide Bill Wilson stood near the security checkpoint, sorting boxes and bags filled with nonperishable food. He’s usually the smiling face greeting travelers, but this week, he’s also helping the airport’s food drive for unpaid federal employees.
“Oh, the people have been so friendly,” Wilson said. “There’s been a lot of drop-offs with folks who come for the food, and there’s other passengers who’ve actually come in. And they’ll stop here first, drop off the food and they go and they take their flights. I’ve probably filled that at least ten times.”
The food drive, organized in partnership with airport staff and local volunteers, began as a small effort to help Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and other federal workers struggling. It was the messages from the local community asking how they could help that sparked this movement.
Just steps from baggage claim in Terminal A, a room once used for storage now overflows with canned goods, cereal boxes and paper bags filled to the brim. In only five hours, hundreds of donations arrived, some from local residents, others from travelers simply passing through.
For Matt Szwejbka, the airport’s Customer Experience Manager, the response is a powerful reminder of Central New York’s generosity.
“As the guy who receives all of those inquiries from the public, I can very confidently tell you that there’s an outpouring of support from members of the public who want to make a difference,” Szwejbka said. “Even if it’s just one bag, we’ve had people today who just scavenge their own pantries who said, ‘I’m flying out at 2 o’clock today and I want to help these people out, so I’m going to get there 15 minutes early and make a donation.’”
By the end of the day, more than 300 bags of food had been collected.
The food drive will continue for two more days, and organizers expect the number of donations to double. Residents and passengers can stop by on Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with non-perishable foods. However, the airport can’t accept donations of cash or gift cards of more than $20, which goes against federal law.
As the rain continues to fall outside, kindness takes flight right here in Syracuse.